I apologize up front as parts of this may come across as harsh.

I've been watching the news about Assad's clear bid to stay entrenched as dicatator of his little playground.  His actions aren't really new, his Dad owns responsibility for the "Battle of Hama" in 1982, which was really the same thing as what's going on now.  In short, he butchered a ( Read more... )

So, it's been in the news a while.  We're "negotiating" with the Taliban.  Ostensbily to end hostilities.  Theoretically to keep them from over-running Afghanistan again when we finally get that you can't forge a positive national identity out of a fractious people who, if they don't have an external enemy to focus on, will fight amongst themselves ( Read more... )

Our involvement in Afghanistan provokes strong emotions and responses from pretty much anyone who pays attention to it.

It seems damn near everyone is unhappy with the state of affairs as the currently exist relative to that country.  I can't really blame them.  A short survey of Afghani history shows they're very good a fighting, but not awefully ( Read more... )

Believe it or not...I get it.  Drone strikes, probably other spec-ops crossings that haven't gotten any press, and certainly our capping bin Laden, can all be taken as our being very free in ignoring your territorial sovereignty.

Truth be told, it'd piss me off too.

And I see you're busy voting whether you want to have anything to do with us from ( Read more... )

Why am I *not* surprised.

I suppose some of this is to be expected.  Solid details of the raid that capped bin Laden are, and are likely to remain (for a while at least) classified, likely for a couple of reasons I can think of up front.

CNN has an article this morning titled:  "The killing of bin Laden: Was it legal?"
www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/ ( Read more... )

I wasn't going to write a separate entry on bin Laden's send off to paradise via the SEALs.  (Actually, I'm thinking he'll have a different destination, but I don't have a say.)

But what the hell, standing post on Sepember 11, 2001, watching the second jet liner smack into the South Tower in real time, is burned forever in my memory.

I'll speak my ( Read more... )

The Middle East is an even more interesting place than usual these days.  Uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, and Libya.  Unrest continues in Iran, Saudi Arabia did some "hand waving" over it's "Day of Rage" (nothing to see here, move along...) and Syria looks as it may join the fray.

My personal opinion, prejudiced and ill-informed as it may be ( Read more... )

This is just a data dump.

1)  All prayers and good wishes for the Japanese.  They've been living with earthquakes throughout their history, but they must contend with the complications of modern society (nuclear plants, greater population density, etc.).

2)  This www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-israel-settlement-killings-20110313,0, ( Read more... )

Hell, *I've* grown tired about prattling on about my medical issues.  I'll turn my gaze back on the world, which happily bumbles along regardless of my situation.

I'm going to speak my mind about WikiLeaks.  (Why not, everyone else has...)

*IF* Julian Assange was focused solely on the truly illegal, on a truly multi-national level, I *might* find ( Read more... )

*Which will contain at least one musing on guns. Don't tell me you're surprised.

Item the First: Just got back from Murder Melee. I cobbled the armor back together enough to get on the field, though I fought in a bar-faced spangenhelm that dated back to early Rhyderrich Hael armor production days. It may not have been proper kabuto with the Tengu ( Read more... )