Israel works the Internet Front

The Israeli army announced yesterday the creation of its own YouTube channel, through which it will disseminate footage of precision bombing operations in the Gaza Strip, as well as aid distribution and other footage of interest to the international community.

"The blogosphere and new media are another war zone," said Foreign Press Branch head Maj. Avital Leibovich. "We have to be relevant there," she said.

Her sentiment reflects a growing awareness in the Israeli government that part of the failure of the 2006 Lebanon campaign was Israel's lack of readiness for the intense media debate surrounding its operations. Since the beginning of the Gaza air strikes, Israeli politicians have been appearing regularly on the largest international news networks to defend the IDF.

Some of the footage might be considered disturbing, such as one video that allegedly depicts men loading rockets onto a pickup truck, to be driven to the border and launched into Israel. The grainy, silent, black-and-white video was transmitted from a plane flying overhead. Moments after the men finish loading their cargo, they are incinerated by an air strike. (story)

Due to the "disturbing video" you will have to log in to view most of the videos. CLICK HERE to visit their channel.

The GRAD Missile (BM-21)

The best place to start, is always at the beginning, and when it comes to the GRAD missile, it starts in WWII.

The Katyusha (or BM-13) was originally a World War II-era Soviet rocket (picture). The Katyusha was mounted only on Studebaker-US6 (BM-13N). The BM-13 could fire 16 130mm rockets simultaneously.

The Katyusha rockets have little guidance and are not lethal enough to defeat Israel militarily, but are used by terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, operating out of Lebanon, to cause terror among the Israeli population.

In October 2005 the Israeli Defense Force deployed a sophisticated new radar system near the Gaza Strip, designed to give early warning to Israeli residents of incoming Katyusha missiles, Kassam rockets and possibly mortar rounds. Because Israeli forces are able to locate the source of fire and return fire, the terrorist organizations have developed special methods of action to avoid injury. They fire towards a target from a number of positions, changing positions frequently and constantly using new positions.

The missile "Katyusha" (a derivative of Katherine) means not just one type of rocket, but a whole range of different artillery rockets, whether from old Soviet or other-nation stock, most frequently it refers to a 122mm rocket (picture).

The GRAD missile is a descendant of the Katyusha. The BM-21 seems most common. The 122mm 40-tube multiple launch rocket system, has a firing range of up to 20 km, was introduced into operational service with the Russian Army in 1963.

The successful use of the Grad system in local conflicts of various intensity for three decades led many countries to develop similar systems.

The launcher with supporting equipment is referred to as the complex 9K51. This 40-round launcher has four tiers of ten tubes mounted on the chassis of a truck.

The BM-21 can be operated and fired from the cab, or it can be fired remotely at a distance of up to 60 meters, using a cable set. The launcher is traversed forward towards the cab for traveling and for firing uses two stabilizing jacks at the rear of the vehicle. A special electric generator powers the launcher. The 9V170 firing device is cab mounted, but the rockets can be fired using a remote-firing device that has a 64-meter-long cable. This MRL can fire all rockets in 6 seconds or fire each singly, and can reload in 5 minutes. It can fire the 40 rockets or any part thereof at a fixed 0.5-second interval. Single rockets can be fired manually at any desired interval. The five-man crew can reload the launcher in 8 minutes.

The BM-21 fires a "9-ft rocket" with a range of 20,380 meters (12.6 miles). Rockets must always be fired with the vehicle parked obliquely to the target to avoid blast damage to the unprotected cab. Due to the smaller caliber of its rockets, the BM-21 also can fire a greater quantity of rockets than the earlier models, making it especially useful for area fire and delivering massive surprise fires.

There are many variations to this rocket, including: 9A51 Prima: Russian 50-tube MRL on a 6x6 ZIL-131 chassis, BM-11: North Korean 30-tube version, and the Sakr-18: Egyptian 40- tube 122mm.




(Source: Katyusha, BM-21)

Hamas Ready for Truce

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal has said he is ready to sign a ceasefire agreement for Gaza that would involve Israel ending its attacks and its blockade of the territory, Senegal's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

It said the proposal for a truce in Gaza was made in a telephone call to Mashaal late on Sunday by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, current president of the 56-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

"The Hamas leader said he was ready to sign such an accord in a place to be chosen by common consent between the two sides," the ministry said in a statement.

It said Wade was proposing "a definitive truce between Israel and Hamas through the signing of an agreement that engages Hamas in the immediate observation of a ceasefire in exchange for an immediate ceasefire by Israel accompanied by a total lifting of the blockade on Gaza".

The statement gave no more details.

The way I see it, the Gaza strip belongs to the Jewish nation, and such, Israel should reclaim it, kicking all Palestinians out. No more Hamas, not more Fatah, no more.

The acting president of the OIC demands that Israel immediately stop the air bombardments and abstains from all attacks on the Palestinian territory, but when Israel demands that you stop launching missiles at them, what did you do? Continued. Now that its not going the way you planned, and your getting the crap blown up everywhere, your ready to sign a peace treaty? Like you ever really followed one of those.

Keep bombing. Take Gaza back!

Israel hits Gaza Again!

Israel strikes Gaza for a second successive day on Sunday, piling pressure on Hamas after 229 people were killed in one of the bloodiest 24 hours for Palestinians in 60 years of conflict with Israel.

"Palestine has never seen an uglier massacre," said Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and his Islamist group, which has controlled the coastal territory since June 2007, vowed revenge including suicide bombings in Israel's "cafes and streets."

The Jewish state said it was responding to "intolerable" almost daily rocket and mortar fire by Gaza militants that intensified after Hamas ended a six-month ceasefire a week ago.

The militant attacks caused some injuries and Israeli leaders were under pressure to stop them ahead of a February 10 election, which opinion polls show the right-wing opposition Likud party may win.

Israel said its warplanes mounted about 100 strikes on Saturday and that Palestinian militants had fired some 70 rockets at the Jewish state, killing one Israeli man.

In Damascus, top Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal called for a new Palestinian uprising against Israel. "We will not leave our land, we will not raise white flags and we will not kneel except before God," said Haniyeh.

Israel telephoned some Palestinians to warn them their homes were targeted and that they should leave to avoid being killed. In at least one case, a home was bombed after occupants left.

Two Palestinians were killed when a mosque was bombed in Gaza City, Hamas and medical staff said. Israel said it targeted the mosque because it was used for "terrorist activities."

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, a leading candidate to become the next prime minister, called for international support against "an extremist Islamist organization ... that is being supported by Iran," Israel's arch-foe.

U.S. President George W. Bush's administration, in its final weeks in office, put the onus on Hamas to prevent more violence.

"The United States ... holds Hamas responsible for breaking the ceasefire and for the renewal of violence in Gaza," U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement. "The ceasefire should be restored immediately."

The United Nations and the European Union called for an immediate halt to all violence.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah forces were routed in Gaza when Hamas won control last year, said Israel's action was "criminal" and urged world powers to intervene.

Yet when it is an Arab country doing the bombing, like Hamas had done immediately after the 6 month cease fire, their actions are allowed.

Aid groups said they feared the Israeli operation could fuel a humanitarian crisis in the impoverished coastal enclave, home to 1.5 million Palestinians, half of them dependent on food aid.

Gaza hospitals said they were running out of medical supplies because of an Israeli-led blockade. The blockades will only be increasing, as will the soldiers guarding them.

(story)

Israel Responds to Attacks From Gaza!

Israeli warplanes and helicopters pounded the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 195 people, and 270 wounded, in one of the bloodiest days in the Palestinians' conflict with Israel.(story)

The attack was in response to a newly ending cease fire, and missile attacks that Hamas has been shooting, and killing, in Israel.

Israel said it had targeted "terrorist infrastructure" following days of rocket attacks from Gaza on southern Israel that caused some damage but few injuries.

"There is a time for calm and a time for fighting, and now the time has come to fight," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said. (story)

The rocket attacks had increased pressure on Israeli political leaders to strike Hamas ahead of a February 10 election.

Protests erupted in the Abbas-ruled West Bank and across the Arab world.

Several hundred angry Jordanians protested outside a U.N. complex in the capital Amman. "Hamas, go ahead. You are the cannon, we are the bullets," they cried, some waving the signature green Hamas banners.

In Beirut, dozens of youths hit the streets and set fire to tires. In Syria's al-Yarmouk camp, outside Damascus, dozens of Palestinians protested the attack as well, vowing to continue fighting Israel.

Barak, the Israeli defense minister, said that the coming period "won't be easy and won't be short for the communities in the south (of Israel).

Israel declared a state of emergency in Israeli communities within a 12-mile (20-kilometer) range of Gaza, putting the area on a war footing.

The first round of air strikes came just before noon, and several more waves followed.

LET IT BE KNOWN:

The militants in the Gaza Strip, who have launched dozens of rocket attacks against Israel since a truce expired just over a week ago, fired more salvoes that killed one Israeli man and wounded several others. It is not Israel who started this battle, it is not Israel who shot first.

I support you, and your decision to go to battle Israel. I see your actions as a defensive stance, and support it. The Gaza strip belongs to the Jewish nation, and must be taken back!

As this battle is just beginning, I believe it will be the start of a much larger war.

Iran has already sent an aid ship to Gaza, containing over 2,000 tonnes of food, medicine and appliances and it will be accompanied by 12 Iranian doctors and relief workers. Who knows what else.

Poor Mans Machine Gun

This is totally legal, and totally free... as long as you have a rubber band.

I ran across this guy on Military.com, a site that I support. This guy demonstrates how you can take nearly any semi-auto and turn it into an automatic.... with a mere rubber band.

Thats right; all you need to turn your semi-automatic weapon into an automatic, and do it legally, is a rubber band.

The rubber band is wrapped around the trigger once, and used to pull the trigger forward. With the firing motion of a kickback, the gun automatically keeps firing, instead of the trigger merely moving back into a ready position.

If it all sounds a little bit confusing, I have added his video below, I also recommend going to his website, at http://www.poormansmachinegun.com

And in slow motion:

Russia Increasing Nuclear Missile Output, Fourfold.

In the latest of a series of combative moves by the Kremlin, a senior government official in Moscow said the Russian military would commission 70 strategic missiles over the next three years, as part of a massive rearmament program which will also include short-range missiles, 300 tanks, 14 warships and 50 planes.

Military experts said the planned new arsenal was presumed to consist of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) rather than submarine-launched missiles. If this is the case, the plans represent a fourfold increase in the rate of ICBM deployment. The arsenal will include a new-generation, multiple-warhead ICBM called the RS-24. It was first test-fired in 2007, with first deputy prime minister Sergei Ivanov boasting it was "capable of overcoming any existing or future missile defense systems".

There will be further increases in spending in the following two years.

The new military procurements follow the war in Georgia in August. Russian forces easily routed Georgian troops, but the conflict exposed weaknesses in the Russian army, including outdated equipment and poorly co-ordinated command structures. The defence ministry said it would carry out drastic reforms, turning the army into a more modern force.

Vladimir Putin on Monday urged cabinet officials to quickly allocate funds for new weapons and closely control the quality and pace of their production. Military experts said the construction of 70 long-range nuclear missiles in the next three years represented a Russian attempt to strengthen its bargaining position with Washington, in talks aimed at agreeing new nuclear weapons cuts when the current treaty in force, Start I, expires next December.

Moscow's strategy appears to be to challenge Obama's new administration as soon as it takes office on 20 January. On the day Obama was elected the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, announced plans to station short-range Iskander missiles in Russia's Kaliningrad exclave as a counter to American installation of its missile defence system in eastern Europe.

Ruben Sergeev, an expert on disarmament issues, said Moscow was afraid of falling behind in a new arms race.

"Russia is decommissioning its old liquid-fuel missiles from the Soviet era at a rate of several dozen every year," he said. "The Kremlin knows that if it doesn't increase production of ICBMs rapidly now then it will have no chance of getting a new arms reduction treaty out of the US, which has much greater quantities of missiles." Negotiations on a successor to Start I have been bogged down in detail, and hamstrung by the Bush administration's lame duck status.

The chief US negotiator, John Rood, said last week that the latest sticking point was Russian insistence that the new treaty cover long-range delivery systems, such as bombers and missiles, intended for conventional arms as well as nuclear warheads. The US wants the treaty to focus solely on nuclear warheads.

Moscow has also signalled that it would supply Tehran with new surface-to-air missiles in defiance of US opposition. Washington has asked for more information on the sales, fearing the weapons being sold include long-range S-300 missiles, which have a 120km (75 mile) range. They could threaten US planes in Iraq, and could also protect Iranian nuclear sites from aerial attack.

The US has set aside its own plans for military action against Iran for now, but US officials hoped that fear of an Israeli strike would make Iran more amenable to suspending its enrichment of uranium.

(story here)

Russia Sells S-300/SA-20 Weapons to Iran

In October Russia's Foreign Ministry denied media speculation that Moscow would sell the medium-range S-300 system, adding Moscow had no intention of selling weapons to "troubled regions." (story)

But Russia's RIA news agency last week quoted "confidential sources" as saying that Russia was fulfilling a S-300 contract with Iran. (The s-300 is also referred to as SA-20)

Russia's state arms export agency said Monday that it is supplying Iran with defensive weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, it did not say however, how sophisticated the weapons were. Meanwhile, the Iranian media did, which again shows Russia's true colors.

Deputy head of parliament's Foreign Affairs and National Security committee, Kosari, said "After few years of talks with Russia ... now the S-300 system is being delivered to Iran,". He failed to mention when the deliveries began. (story)

Rosoboronexport (Federal state unitary enterprise acting as the sole Russian state intermediary agency for export and import of military and dual-purpose products) said in a statement that "only weapons of a defensive nature are being supplied to Iran, including anti-aircraft weaponry." It added that, previously, Tor-M1 air-defense systems were supplied to Iran.

The missile itself is quite exquisite. Retired United States Air Force General, and fmr Commander of the USAF Air Combat Command (from 1996 to 1999), said “For non-stealth aircraft, the SA-20 represents a virtual no-fly zone,”. SA-20 possesses far better radar, much greater range, is far better integrated into the networked air defense system, and is generally much more lethal than previous generations of surface-to-air missiles.

Additionally, the SA-20 is much more resistant to electronic countermeasures that are typically used by strike aircraft to defeat such weapons and is capable of engaging targets with far smaller radar cross-sections.

STATS:

The S-300PMU-1 system is capable of engaging targets from altitudes as low as 30 feet to as high as 90,000 feet, against incoming targets travelling at a velocity of 9,000 feet per second, according to the Web site of the Almaz Scientific Industrial Corporation, the Russian company that builds the weapon.

Its horizontal range allows the S-300PMU-1 to attack targets as close in as 3 miles to as far out as 95 miles. In addition, the missile system is capable of destroying incoming intermediate-range ballistic missiles up to 25 miles out.

The SA-20/S-300 does all this while attacking six targets simultaneously, with two missile launchers each firing at a rate of one missile every 3 to 5 seconds. The system is totally mobile and can be networked into an air battle management system to provide even more lethal coverage and to ensure that the weapon is much more protected.

According to Hawley, the only ways to engage the SA-20 with conventional non-stealth aircraft would be to use stealthy cruise missiles such as the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), fired from outside the range of the air defense missiles; or to resort to Vietnam-era low-level tactics.

The problem for Israel is that it does not have the JASSM missile. The problem of USA, is that production of the weapon has only recently restarted, due to technical faults; so its aircraft would have to use the low-altitude approach against the SA-20.

In such conditions, where jets skim the earth at treetop levels, it is extremely hazardous and are of limited effectiveness, and an attacking force would likely face “very significant losses,” said Hawley. (story)

Living in the Rain of God's Favor

Tonight, late at night I might add, I was watching TV. Yah, I am one of those guys who on occasion will watch those late night pastors trying to earn a buck.

I got to admit that sometimes they do a pretty good job, sometimes. Often times, however, they wear too much makeup, get a little "too" passionate, or they just cant seem to preach with out over doing something.

The sermon I watched tonight, was by none other than Joel Osteen. First and foremost, I was intrigued because I have heard much controversy surrounding his ministry. Since I enjoy controversy, I decided to listen and watch, to see if I could conjure up a good argument.

It started out as many televangelists do, using only a single verse at a time to make a point (a personal pet peeve of mine). However the message he was delivering was pretty good. Reminding the audience to give praise in all things, even when we stub our toe.

I cant argue with that, I have often said we need to give more praise. So I am sitting there nodding my head, thinking a friend of mine might have totally missed something, when I catch something I dont like.

Joel said something like this: As long as we keep giving God praise, we will get gifts from God. He than gave a verse saying God inhibits praise. Now I am not arguing that God inhibits praise, I am arguing that our actions of praise will create blessings from God.

I praise God, because God is good, even when it doesn't appear to me that I am the one receiving good. However my action of giving praise, does not guarantee more gifts from God. God gives gifts as He sees fit, God answers prayers as He sees fit, God is the One in control of who gets what, what they get it for, and well lets just sum it up with the fact that God controls all things.

My actions on earth builds treasures in heaven, but I do not recall a verse suggesting I can build treasure on earth. My actions of praise may be beneficial to my relationship with the Almighty, but to suggest that they build up in a "cloud" and that if I give enough praise God will rain down blessings upon me, well thats just outright!

Mr. Osteen, I believe that while you mean well, your message is deceiving, and that you could be leading people in an incorrect direction.

Burger King Body Spray

The home of the Whopper has launched a new men's body spray called "Flame." The company describes the spray as "the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat."

The fragrance is on sale at New York City retailer Ricky's NYC in stores and online for a limited time for $3.99.

Burger King is marketing the product through a Web site featuring a photo of its King character reclining fireside and naked but for an animal fur strategically placed to not offend.

The marketing ploy is the latest in a string of viral ad campaigns by the company. Burger King is also in the midst of its Whopper Virgins campaign that features an taste test with fast-food "virgins" pitting the Whopper against McDonald's Corp.'s Big Mac. (story)

And in my opinion, thats just gross.

Obama picks Rick Warren

Obama has now, not only irritated many within the Democrat party, but is now irritating many of his supporters.

On Thursday, Obama picked a popular evangelical minister to deliver the invocation at his inauguration, Rick Warren.

Gay rights advocates, who strongly supported Obama during the election campaign, are angry over the choice because Warren backed a California ballot initiative, banning gay marriage. The measure was approved by voters last month..

Obama told reporters in Chicago that America needs to "come together," even when there's disagreement on social issues. "That dialogue is part of what my campaign is all about," he said. Obama also said he's known to be a "fierce advocate for equality" for gays and lesbians, and will remain so.

Rick Warren (the pastor who hosted the first televised "forum" this year during the primary), is a best-selling author and leader of a Southern California megachurch, and is of a new breed of evangelicals who stress the need for action on social issues such as: reducing poverty and protecting the environment, alongside traditional theological themes.

The Human Rights Campaign, the nations largest gay rights organizations, said Warren's opposition to gay marriage is a sign of intolerance.

"We feel a deep level of disrespect when one of the architects and promoters of an anti-gay agenda is given the prominence and the pulpit of your historic nomination," the group said in a letter to Obama, asking him to reconsider.

Obama's selection of Warren is seen as a signal to religious conservatives that the president-elect will listen to their views.

(story here)

Rahm Emanuel talks with IL. Gov

Rahm Emanuel is reportedly on 21 different taped conversations by the feds -- dealing with his boss' vacant Senate seat!

Meleanie Hain called "Extreme"

Meleanie Hain of Lebanon, PA. owns a gun, and wears it too. She is a mother of four, and doesn't leave home without her Glock 26.

Hain, 30, has caused a stir in this rural Pennsylvania Dutch community 25 miles east of Harrisburg for packing a gun everywhere she goes, including to her 5-year-old daughter's soccer games this fall.

Not only do do the left wing liberals despise her, but now even some right wingers do too.

"People get alarmed because they don't see that too often," said Charlie Jones, a soccer coach who confronted Hain about the gun at a Sept. 11 game. "They don't know what your intentions are going to be."

She has been called an attention-seeker, psycho, moron and worse on hundreds of pages on Internet forums. Neighbors have blasted her on radio shows, her daughter's principal warned her against taking the gun to school (she doesn't), and the local police chief advised her to put it away.

Now she is firing back. On Oct. 24, Hain filed a federal lawsuit against Lebanon County and Mike DeLeo, the sheriff who revoked her gun permit after jittery parents complained about her at the Sept. 11 game.

The suit says they violated her constitutional and civil rights and seeks more than $1 million.

DeLeo, who calls himself a staunch NRA member, said he has nothing against guns but felt it was his duty to take action "because of the safety and security issues involving [children] on the field."

The complaint is not that she carries a gun, but that she carries it everywhere, including her childrens soccer games.

In Pennsylvania, gun owners are allowed to carry weapons in the open as Hain does, but need a permit to conceal them in a pocket, purse or car. So without a permit, Hain could still carry a gun at the game but couldn't take it in the car to get there.

The reason she carries on her hip in the open? "I don't really need anything extra in the way of the gun if I'm going to have to pull it out and I'm holding a baby and trying to shuttle two or three other kids," she said.

(Story Here)

Its a hot topic in the "Gun control world", because she seems to take full advantage of the law, and personally, I agree with her. The only reasons she is being made an example of, is because she is the only one doing it, and thats not a bad thing.

Does it make her a target? Sure. Does it give liberals someone to target? Sure. Is it her choice? Yes it is.

While her actions does have the potential to create laws against carrying in some locations, I think its the smart thing to do. If we look back in our history, we see children's school are not without terror, whether it be Columbine High school, or anywhere else.

Lastly, she might not be the first target of a terrorist, if all the gun owners wore their guns on their hip, which I am willing to bet would not only decrease crime, but would also increase the amount of people with the license.

Strongbad Email: Crying

I'm a Rifle Guy

I have been looking for a new rifle. I enjoy hand guns, I love to shoot them, but the truth is. I am a rifle guy. I love the thrill of being able to shoot hundreds of yards away, and still strike my bullseye. It doesn't matter if it is with my SKS, or my TC Omega, I love that kind of shooting.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to get a 357, in fact that will be my next handgun, but I am currently torn on whether to get the 357, or a new rifle.

In specific, I am looking at the Remington 798 30-06. This gun is a Thoroughbred, first and foremost, Remington is a solid gun. Second, the 30-06 is a great caliber. The 30-06 was first created in 1906, thus the name: .30-06. Introduced by the US Army, it was standard for over 50 years, into the early 1970's. The 30-06 cartridge was designed for longer range shots

The Remington 798 uses the Model 98 Mauser bolt action, which date back to the 1870's. Even after some 100 years after its introduction, some of the earlier Mauser works became the standards against which all others designs are judged. In the 1904 Germans were first to introduce the new, "spitzer" bullet (a pointed tip, instead of blunt, round-shaped tip). The new bullet had much better long-range ballistics, so all the sights for these guns were upgraded. The Mauser action is simple, extremely strong, and well thought out in design. The bolt has three locking lugs, two at the bolt head and one at the rear part of the bolt. The bolt handle is rigidly attached to the bolt body.

The cost of this rifle: $650, pretty close to the same cost of a 357. The hardest part, is making the choice as to which one to purchase first.

What do you prefer to shoot, and which would you suggest to buy first?

Granholm: Vote Against Bailout "Unamerican"

Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) said it was "un-American" for senators to have voted against approving a bailout of troubled automakers last night, saying their vote may cause a recession to become a depression.

What she didnt say was how her tax increases were causing a depressions. How about America's capitalism, where does that go when the government steps in?

Gov. "two penny Jenny" needs to shut her mouth, and listen to the people of this state. I am sick and tired of her giving her own opinion, instead of working for the people of this dying state.

"It is unacceptable for this un-American, frankly, behavior of these U.S. senators to cause this country to go from a recession into a depression," Granholm said during a radio interview Friday morning.

Typical of Jenny to suggest that taxpayers should give more, meanwhile the government nationalizes the automotive industry.

I remember when Pres. Chavez of Venezuela did something very similar to the oil industry... American media ate it up, calling Venezuela a socialist country, and for once, the media was right. Now the United States of America are going to do the same thing, only since its the USA its okay, and its not socialism? What the crap is that?

Jenny Granholm might as well call herself Jenny Chavez, because as far as I can see it, she is the reason we are in a "recession" and moving into a depression.

Totally Off Topic

So I got home later than normally today, and of course, I was hungry. I work part time at two places, one of those places, I cook. I love to cook. I enjoy creating things that bring happiness and enjoyment to those who eat whatever it is I make.

Sometimes, I will get a "tickle" to go into the kitchen and create something wonderful. When my wife and I first married, she thought I was crazy. Here she would be, getting ready for bed, and I would be banging around cupboards and doors, pots and pans, making food.

After the first time however, that is, after she ate the "snack" she never complained again.

Well anyway, tonight, I decided to make some trail mix. I am sure you might be thinking that "making" trail mix doesnt require much talent... and your right, thats why I am willing to share my recipe. I normally do not like sharing my recipes.

Why should I just give away my recipe?? It required creative talent to come up with some of the things I make (thats not to say they are all masterpieces). If you plan on building a house, and as an architect for some plans, he is going to charge you. If you ask a artist for a painting, he is going to charge you. If you ask me for my recipe... I am going to charge you. (I am actually contomplating creating a recipe book)

So anyway, I made some trail mix.... but not just ANY trail mix, "Layne's Morning Trail Mix". (thats what I am calling it for now at least)

So here it is:

1 cup raisens
1 cup almonds
1 cup M&M's (no peanuts)
3/4 cup M&M's (with nuts)
3/4 cup favorite coffee ( I like meijer's breakfast blend)
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup sunflower seed (no shell, of course)
1/2 cup flax seed (not needed, but now I can call the trail mix nutritional)

Add ingrediants to a bag or container of some sort: shake and eat.

I think I might make a change to it though, and use only a 1/2 cup regular M7M's, and use 1 cup chocolate covered coffee beans.

MMMmmmm MMMmmmm good.

One Global Economy

The idea that a global nation is not possible is, by all right, possible. The more I read about that possibility, the more I see probability.

I recently read an article by Gideon Rachman on Financial Times (FT.com) where he said "I have never believed that there is a secret United Nations plot to take over the US. ... But, for the first time in my life, I think the formation of some sort of world government is plausible."

The European Union is a system in place in Europe.. (Go figure right?) but did you know that the European Union has already set up a continental government for 27 countries?

Those countries currently a part of the EU are as follows: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The threat of the United States of America joining does seem a bit... unrealistic, however we do not know what the future holds that might spur America into that arena. If you look at our current social standing however, we are a main figure within the global economy.

A look at anything global, America has its hand in it, whether it is our current global financial crisis, global warming, or our global war on terrorism, we might as well toss in a global war on drugs too.

When I think of a one world government, often times it seems very far fetched, however lets look at it with a new perspective, lets make it a little more local.

I live in Michigan, we have our own laws, our own congress, a single governor (who is horrible, but nonetheless) and our own constitution. While Michigan stands as its own state, we are a part global economy in the aspect of the country as a whole. There is a federal government, a set of federal laws (which over ride any local laws, wrong as it may be, but I digress) a federal congress, and a single leader of this federal, or global economy.

Recognizing that we already have true global issues, like the ones I stated before (war on terror, global warming, etc.) as well as currently each state being part of a larger government, is it really that hard to think that we would become a part of the European Union?

Each state has representation within the institutions of the European Union, full members also have a seat in the Council of the European Union, and the European Council. When members do not have a consensus, a vote takes place. Much like in American congress, each state has a vote based on population.

Basically, think of it much like our current government, on a global scale, only with a parliament not a presidential system. (difference explained here)

Anyway, the USA is already part of a global governing union, called the United Nations. The European Union is similar to the United Nations, however instead of focusing on issues war, the EU mainly focuses on economic growth. The UN is an armed body, while the EU is not.

Lets now look at President Elect Obama, and his thoughts on a global economy. In his book, The Audacity of Hope, he argued that: “When the world’s sole superpower willingly restrains its power and abides by internationally agreed-upon standards of conduct, it sends a message that these are rules worth following.”

He has also recently appointed a member of his cabinet, Susan Rice, and one of his closest aides, as America’s ambassador to the United Nations.

The point here is that there are already two very popular global governing organizations, one which we are already a part of, the other is one that mimics our current system of government. With the current economic slump, a never ending war of terror, and the global outcry of environmentalists, it seems we are on the brink of "global governing", or "shared sovereignty", all of which our president elect seems willing to participate in.

Obama: Don't stock up on guns

As gun sales shoot up around the country, President-elect Barack Obama said Sunday that gun-owning Americans do not need to rush out and stock up before he is sworn in next month.

"I believe in common-sense gun safety laws, and I believe in the second amendment," Obama said at a news conference. "Lawful gun owners have nothing to fear. I said that throughout the campaign. I haven't indicated anything different during the transition. I think people can take me at my word."

But National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said it's not Obama's words — but his legislative track record — that has gun-buyers flocking to the stores.

"Prior to his campaign for president, his record as a state legislator and as a U.S. Senator shows he voted for the most stringent forms of gun control, the most Draconian legislation, gun bans, ammunition bans and even an increase in federal excise taxes up to 500 percent for every gun and firearm sold," Arulanandam said.

Obama answered "yes" in 1996 to a questionnaire from an Illinois group on whether he supported a handgun ban. But he later said a staffer filled out that answer and he did not support a ban.

Nationally, background checks for gun purchases jumped nearly 49 percent during the week Obama was elected, compared with the same time period last year, according to the FBI's National Instant Background Check System.

Gun dealers around the country have reported spikes in sales. The Illinois State Rifle Association Reports gun sales for November were 38 percent higher than last year.

"We don't dispute [the gun sales hike] because the numbers from the federal system certainly confirm that there is increased activity out there. We just think it's a bit stupid," said Peter Hamm, spokesman for the Brady Campaign against Gun Violence.

"Anyone who thinks they need to rush out and buy a firearm clearly has not been paying attention to how quickly we make progress on this issue. We don't think these are first-time buyers. We think they are people who already have more than enough guns at their homes to protect themselves and are buying more."

(Article, emphasis added)

Remember December 7th!

Attributes of a Good President

The below are quotes from Ronald Reagan, and an a look back on what made him a good president.

"Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets."

"Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged."

"Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States."

"But there are advantages to being elected President. The day after I was elected, I had my high school grades classified Top Secret."

"Before I refuse to take your questions, I have an opening statement."

"A tree's a tree. How many more do you need to look at?"

"Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards from man-made sources."

"How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin."

"I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life."

"I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress."

"I've never been able to understand why a Republican contributor is a 'fat cat' and a Democratic contributor of the same amount of money is a 'public-spirited philanthropist'."

"If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen."

"No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!"

"Recession is when a neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours."

"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

"The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much."

"We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions."

"We should measure welfare's success by how many people leave welfare, not by how many are added."

"Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face."

"To sit back hoping that someday, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last - but eat you he will."

Funny Picture

I got this in a forward, thought it was worth sharing, as I share that I received my post card today! The postcard tells me that I need to get to the County Clerks office so that I may pick up my CPL (concealed pistol license). woot!

Cry Out To Jesus - by Third Day

"To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They lost all of their faith in love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering

When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who suffers from being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are...

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus"

By Third Day

Atheist Sign in Washington State Capitol

An atheist group has unveiled an anti-religion placard in the state Capitol, joining a Christian Nativity scene and "holiday tree" on display during December.

The atheists' sign was installed Monday by Washington members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national group based in Madison, Wisconsin.

This has become very disturbing to many in the state of Washington, however I would like to mention that upon visiting ffrf.org, I noticed that they have had a similar sign in the Wisconsin State capitol for 13 years!

The words on the signs are not identical, however they are close to it. I have been unable to find a close up photo of the sign in Washington, but I have read it, as it was shown on the O'Reilly Factor tonight.

Below is the sign that is in the Wisconsin State capitol, the Washington State sign is a twin.

The words on the front of the sign are as follows:

"At this season of
THE WINTER SOLSTICE
may reason prevail.
There are no gods,
no devils, no angels,
no heaven, no hell.
There is only
our natural world.
Religion is but
myth and superstition,
that hardens hearts
and enslaves minds."

The words on the back of the sign are as follows:

"The World's Need
So many gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind.
When just the art of being kind
Is all this sad world needs.

Ellen Wheeler Wilcox

Keep State
and
Church Separate!"

The Washington Governor's phone has been ringing off the hook. A press secretary of the Governor made a statement defending the Governor's decision to allow the sign. In that statement, it was said that the Governor's phone has been ringing off the hook, with an average of 200 calls an hour.

Good Job citizens of Washington! Dont give up the battle, or you too, may be in for 13 years of this sign. I hope that you will get rid of your governor before that happens.

Suck It Up Reid

The Capitol Visitors Center (the largest addition ever to the 215-year-old U.S. Capitol), which opened this morning, may have tripled its original budget and fallen years behind schedule, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, found a silver lining for members of Congress: tourists won't offend them with their B.O. anymore.

"My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway," said Reid in his remarks. "In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true."

But it's no longer going to be true, noted Reid, thanks to the air conditioned, indoor space.

And that's not all. "We have many bathrooms here, as you can see," Reid continued. "Souvenirs are available."

For $621 million, congress doesnt have to smell the people they work for anymore.

For your paycheck, you had ought to smell, see and be able to feel those of us whom you work for! I think Mr. Reid needs a reminder of where his paycheck comes from.

(story)

Changes from Big 3

Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Company, is slated to come to Washington for hearings this week, only this time, he is leaving his jet behind. He plans to drive to Washington in a new Ford Escape hybrid, and a Ford official confirmed that he is prepared to accept $1 a year in pay if Ford should have to use the federal aid.

Despite its precarious state, GM is not expected to provide proprietary information to the congressional committees beyond what is in its plan.

This week’s hearings, beginning Thursday at the Senate Banking Committee and then Friday before the House Financial Services Committee, are pivotal given the political landscape. And even if the leadership opts to press ahead with an aid package, it could become entwined with other demands by states for aid to help with food banks and health care for the poor.

The mixed emotions among Democrats were illustrated again Monday when House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters in his home state that all of the Big Three CEOs should be ousted as a condition for federal aid.

“If I had my way, all three of those guys would be in the unemployment line, and I think that ought to be one of the conditions for us doing this,” Clyburn said, according to The Associated Press. “We need to have new leadership. That’s what we would do if we had this kind of failure on a football field. We would be getting a new coach — sometimes a new athletic director. We need to clean house with these guys and bring in new people.”

At the same time, the pressure from allies in the United Auto Workers is immense. And while Ford is the strongest of the three, with about $18.9 billion in cash and about $10.7 in additional credit, it would be severely hurt as well if GM, for example, were to go into bankruptcy.

No matter what happens this year, it will carry over into next year, and the "Big 3" will need more money then as well. All of this comes down to one meaning, in my opinion, the "Big 3" maybe not be very big next year, and there might not be three...

(story)

New Record

Hey everyone,

Thanks for coming by and visiting, I really appreciate it. I wanted to inform everyone that the month of November has been my biggest month ever, in visitors that is.

Thanks to each one of you! I hope that I can keep the posts coming, and that you will continue to read them.

This month I changed the look and feel of the blog, as well as the name. I am happy with the outcome, and hope that I will continue to improve.

Thanks Again!

Layneh