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Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec
Date: 05/22/2012 10:24:52
Good Morning.
Today is our 3,880th day in Afghanistan.
We'll start this morning as we always do; with the latest casualty figures from our ongoing war, courtesy of Antiwar.com:
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,977
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,030
We find this morning's cost of war passing through:
$ 1, 334, 627, 850, 000 .00
Speaking of the cost of war, like everything else, our soldiers are facing increasing costs throughout the Tricare system. Remember, this is my business, and i find it unconscionable that our returning troops have to pay the same out-of-pocket costs that civilians do for their healthcare. It seems to me that such a thing violates the spirit of the promises that Washington has made to take care of them for their service.
Incredibly....there is actually a bipartisan move to do something about it. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) have co-sponsored a bill that will attempt to rein in the cost increases.
Speaking of wounded warriors, there was news out of Virginia this week about a groundbreaking taking place for a retreat center.. The idea behind the concept is to provide a place for veterans and their families to vacation, go through treatments, therapy, and a whole host of other things that will help returning soldiers recover and return to society. It struck me though, that this is all being done by private investments. Remember when the government would take care of our troops?
Finally this morning, there's word of of Afghanistan that our counterparts aren't happy with the equipment they're getting.
It seems that Afghan troops are not getting the same top-quality materials and supplies that go to Americans in-country. We are supposedly trying to train them to become self-sufficient enough to take control in a few years when we finally pull out, but with secondhand gear, that makes the task doubly difficult.
Taken individually, these three stories can be passed off with a shrug and a sigh; the typical stories out of a war economy. But when you take a step back and look at them together, don't you think it's more illustrative of the wrong approach to everything that is a direct result of 10 years of mismanagement at all levels of government and the military?
It sure makes you go "hmmmm" now, doesn't it?
Today is our 3,880th day in Afghanistan.
We'll start this morning as we always do; with the latest casualty figures from our ongoing war, courtesy of Antiwar.com:
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,977
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,030
We find this morning's cost of war passing through:
Speaking of the cost of war, like everything else, our soldiers are facing increasing costs throughout the Tricare system. Remember, this is my business, and i find it unconscionable that our returning troops have to pay the same out-of-pocket costs that civilians do for their healthcare. It seems to me that such a thing violates the spirit of the promises that Washington has made to take care of them for their service.
Incredibly....there is actually a bipartisan move to do something about it. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) have co-sponsored a bill that will attempt to rein in the cost increases.
Two senators have reached across the aisle to fight Tricare fee increases, introducing a bill that would cap enrollment fees, deductibles and pharmacy copayments for military retirees.
The Military Health Care Protection Act of 2012, cosponsored by Sens. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., would limit increases in cost shares, pharmacy fees and deductibles to no more than the most recent annual percentage cost-of-living adjustment in military retired pay.
“A tough fiscal climate is no excuse to balance the budget on the backs of our nation’s military retirees and their families,” Lautenberg said in a release Friday.
The bill was introduced as the Senate Armed Services Committee prepares to discuss the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill, which ultimately will address the question of Tricare fee hikes.
The House’s version of the 2013 defense authorization bill includes similar language.
More than 20 veterans and military support groups have come out in favor of the Lautenberg-Rubio bill, including the Military Officers Association of America, the National Military Family Association and the American Legion.
“We’re grateful for Sen. Lautenberg’s and Sen. Rubio’s leadership in introducing this bill to protect uniformed services beneficiaries from dramatic fee increases for their military Tricare coverage. … [The bill] would restore a much-needed sense of stability for this core career retention incentive,” said retired Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, MOAA president.
The bill aims to strengthen legislation passed in 2012 that restricted Tricare enrollment fee increases to percentages no higher than the annual COLA increase.
The Defense Department has pushed for more extensive fee hikes and requested approval to charge military retirees health care enrollment fees based on the amount of retirement pay they receive.
“This bill would give veterans on Tricare greater assurances that their costs will not spiral out of control beyond their means to pay for them,” Rubio said.
Speaking of wounded warriors, there was news out of Virginia this week about a groundbreaking taking place for a retreat center.. The idea behind the concept is to provide a place for veterans and their families to vacation, go through treatments, therapy, and a whole host of other things that will help returning soldiers recover and return to society. It struck me though, that this is all being done by private investments. Remember when the government would take care of our troops?
A group of investors, government officials, business executives and former military personnel broke ground May 18 on a private retreat they hope will become a premier getaway for wounded warriors recovering in the Washington, D.C., region.
Boulder Crest Retreat, in Bluemont, Va., is a planned 37-acre site where recovering service members and their families can vacation, enjoying therapeutic and recreational activities, said founder Ken Falke, a retired Navy explosive ordnance disposal master chief.
“A large percentage of our military members come from rural America. Wounded warriors treated at Walter Reed can sometimes be assigned there for one to four years. While they are in top facilities, at the end of the day, they are still living in military apartments and medical clinics. This will give them the chance to get out of the city,” Falke said.
The $10 million project, set to open in May 2013, will include a central clubhouse, family cabins, a fishing pond, wheelchair-accessible trails and gardens.
Falke said the administration plan is to partner with area businesses to offer additional recreational activities, including winery tours, therapeutic horseback riding, fly-fishing, canoeing, kayaking and more.
On hand to mark the groundbreaking were retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Dana Bowman, a double amputee who performed a skydive jump, and former Navy Secretary and honorary board member John Lehman.
“It takes Ken’s vision to move this unprecedented project a step closer to reality, marking another selfless gesture to honor our wounded,” Lehman said.
Falke is a 21-year veteran who served as an EOD consultant to the federal government. He also founded the Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation.
The retreat, he said, will provide a “home away from home” for personnel and their families at no cost.
“This will be a place for family time, for rest, for healing,” Falke said.
Finally this morning, there's word of of Afghanistan that our counterparts aren't happy with the equipment they're getting.
It seems that Afghan troops are not getting the same top-quality materials and supplies that go to Americans in-country. We are supposedly trying to train them to become self-sufficient enough to take control in a few years when we finally pull out, but with secondhand gear, that makes the task doubly difficult.
GARDEZ, Afghanistan — They say their M16s are dust-prone antiques. Their boots fall apart after a couple of months, they complain, and many of their helmets are cracked and patched. Yet they set out on patrol.
They are the men of the Afghan National Army, the critical part of the huge machine being built to protect Afghanistan’s security after the NATO alliance is gone in less than three years.
With Afghanistan topping the agenda at a gathering of NATO leaders in Chicago on Sunday and Monday, an Associated Press reporter and photographer traveling with Afghan army forces in Logar and Paktia provinces are hearing a mix of messages from dozens of officers and enlisted men.
The foreign forces are leaving too soon, the men say. Why then are attacks by Afghan soldiers on NATO forces increasing, killing 35 last year and 22 so far this year? Because the Afghans feel disrespected, the soldiers say. Handing out inferior equipment is disrespectful; burning Korans, however accidental, is disrespectful; urinating on dead bodies, even Taliban, as video that emerged in January showed U.S. troops doing, is disrespectful.
Washington spent more than $20 billion in 2010-2011 on training and equipping a 352,000 strong army and police force — one of the costliest projects ever undertaken by the Pentagon.
Yet the footsoldiers don’t have night-vision goggles to go after the Taliban under cover of darkness.
At the rock-strewn firing range of the 203 Thunder Corps in Paktia province, Sgt. Said Aga recalled his M16 jamming in the middle of a fierce firefight with the Taliban, and grimaced as his young charges aired their gripes about the Vietnam-era firearm.
“The Americans have really much better equipment than us,” he said. “Our vehicles and weapons are very weak compared to theirs.”
A soldier named Abdul Karim said he’d prefer a 30-year-old Russian-made Kalashnikov to an M16. The Americans “are giving us old weapons and try to make them look new with polish and paint. We don’t want their throwaways,” he said.
In Kabul, Lt. Col. Timothy M. Stauffer, U. S. Army Director, Public Affairs, rejected the complaints about aging weapons, saying the Afghans get basically the same firearms that U.S. soldiers have. “I am not sure their complaints are valid,” he said. “The equipment they are asking for and are being issued is sufficient to meet the current threat.”
Taken individually, these three stories can be passed off with a shrug and a sigh; the typical stories out of a war economy. But when you take a step back and look at them together, don't you think it's more illustrative of the wrong approach to everything that is a direct result of 10 years of mismanagement at all levels of government and the military?
It sure makes you go "hmmmm" now, doesn't it?
Comments:
Order comments Newest to Oldest Refresh Comments
Comment by 
wickedpam on 05/22/2012 12:54:56
wickedpam on 05/22/2012 12:54:56
Morning 
Comment by 
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 13:21:17
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 13:21:17
To c**k punch or not c**k punch? That is the question.
Comment by 
Raine on 05/22/2012 13:30:37
Raine on 05/22/2012 13:30:37
Good Morning! 
Noc**k punching today! just all around.
Noc**k punching today! just
all around.
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 13:36:38
Raine on 05/22/2012 13:36:38
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 13:51:18
Did he punch Tribe in the c**k??? I slay myself!
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 13:51:18
Quote by Raine:
Mondo -- I think this you will like: NPR did a piece on Barack Obama during his harvard years.
Did he punch Tribe in the c**k??? I slay myself!
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 13:51:47
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 13:51:47
BTW I am leaning away from CPing today.
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 14:01:49
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 14:01:49
There is a whole lotta Corey Booker hate going on on the interwebs the past couple of days. My favorite so far has to be a FB status update a friend of mine put that says (more or less) Corey Booker is such a whore! I wonder if Tyrion Lannister ( Game of Thrones character) and Elliott Spitzer have had him. I like because of the GoT angle.
Comment by 
BobR on 05/22/2012 14:09:55
That all seems very Republican-esque: one slip and you are forever banished and written off.
BobR on 05/22/2012 14:09:55
Quote by Mondobubba:
There is a whole lotta Corey Booker hate going on on the interwebs the past couple of days. My favorite so far has to be a FB status update a friend of mine put that says (more or less) Corey Booker is such a whore! I wonder if Tyrion Lannister ( Game of Thrones character) and Elliott Spitzer have had him. I like because of the GoT angle.
That all seems very Republican-esque: one slip and you are forever banished and written off.
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 14:36:08
That is the tone of a lot of the hate. There was a Kos article basically calling Booker a DINO. Sheesh on comment and he's in Siberia.
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 14:36:08
Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:
There is a whole lotta Corey Booker hate going on on the interwebs the past couple of days. My favorite so far has to be a FB status update a friend of mine put that says (more or less) Corey Booker is such a whore! I wonder if Tyrion Lannister ( Game of Thrones character) and Elliott Spitzer have had him. I like because of the GoT angle.
That all seems very Republican-esque: one slip and you are forever banished and written off.
That is the tone of a lot of the hate. There was a Kos article basically calling Booker a DINO. Sheesh on comment and he's in Siberia.
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 14:37:28
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 14:37:28
BTW I am not agreeing with the haters, I am just saying I liked my friend's comment due to the GoT thing.
Comment by 
Scoopster on 05/22/2012 14:39:27
Scoopster on 05/22/2012 14:39:27
Mornin' all.. 
Not sure if anyone else saw the ridiculous and completely off-base op-ed in the Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal re-endorsing Scott Walker.. This came as a real shock to me, considering that the WSJ reporting on the protesting and recall movement in Wisconsin over the past year and a half has been excellent and extremely fair-handed. You don't see that kind of thing in print journalism much anymore - I mean the firm ideological split between the news pages and the editorials.
Not sure if anyone else saw the ridiculous and completely off-base op-ed in the Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal re-endorsing Scott Walker.. This came as a real shock to me, considering that the WSJ reporting on the protesting and recall movement in Wisconsin over the past year and a half has been excellent and extremely fair-handed. You don't see that kind of thing in print journalism much anymore - I mean the firm ideological split between the news pages and the editorials.
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 14:45:38
YAY!
Raine on 05/22/2012 14:45:38
Quote by Mondobubba:
BTW I am leaning away from CPing today.
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 14:47:08
I think there are legitimate complaints to be had about booker, but the reality is that we are supposed to be the big tent party, are we not? I find myself increasingly uncomfortable with what I perceive as purity tests.
Raine on 05/22/2012 14:47:08
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:
There is a whole lotta Corey Booker hate going on on the interwebs the past couple of days. My favorite so far has to be a FB status update a friend of mine put that says (more or less) Corey Booker is such a whore! I wonder if Tyrion Lannister ( Game of Thrones character) and Elliott Spitzer have had him. I like because of the GoT angle.
That all seems very Republican-esque: one slip and you are forever banished and written off.
That is the tone of a lot of the hate. There was a Kos article basically calling Booker a DINO. Sheesh on comment and he's in Siberia.
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 14:48:40
Well it's clear that if he did, he carefully thought it out and tried to bring about a consensus on said c**k punch.
Raine on 05/22/2012 14:48:40
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:
Mondo -- I think this you will like: NPR did a piece on Barack Obama during his harvard years.
Did he punch Tribe in the c**k??? I slay myself!
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 15:05:59
I 
THIS
Raine on 05/22/2012 15:05:59
THIS
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 15:17:48
Raine on 05/22/2012 15:17:48
Joe Biden is NOT a boring white guy.
Comment by wickedpam on 05/22/2012 15:23:21
that is what I love about Biden - he makes it interesting and heartfelt
wickedpam on 05/22/2012 15:23:21
Quote by Raine:
Joe Biden is NOT a boring white guy.
that is what I love about Biden - he makes it interesting and heartfelt
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 15:30:26
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 15:30:26
I've been thinking about Bain and other private equity firms. If you remember that during the 80s LBOs (leverage buyouts) were all the rage. LBO basically means we are going to borrow a ton of money to buy the company, take it private, make it run more efficently (ie fire people), pay down the leverage, sell it for a tidy profit. Oh yeah we are going to collect fees up front as well. Since this all sounds very brutal and honest, people came up with the term "private equity." Sounds much nicer doesn't it?
Remember junk bonds? Many of the big LBOs of the 80s were financed with these. Since they have brutally high interest rates, that is where the culture of streamling (firing) comes from.
Junk bonds if you remember, were the CDOs of the 80s. Very risky and being used for things they shouldn't really have been used for. What is my little nostalgia trip about? Finance never learns lessons from past bad behavior.
Remember junk bonds? Many of the big LBOs of the 80s were financed with these. Since they have brutally high interest rates, that is where the culture of streamling (firing) comes from.
Junk bonds if you remember, were the CDOs of the 80s. Very risky and being used for things they shouldn't really have been used for. What is my little nostalgia trip about? Finance never learns lessons from past bad behavior.
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 15:35:52
It is a steaming plate of awesome with a topping of WIN!
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 15:35:52
Quote by Raine:I
It is a steaming plate of awesome with a topping of WIN!
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 15:35:54
Raine on 05/22/2012 15:35:54
Mala, are you keeping up with the weather related happenings in Prince williams county?
Stuff like this: This is Aden Rd at Misty Creek…
Stuff like this: This is Aden Rd at Misty Creek…
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 15:39:53
AND--that is why they need the longest time out forever, in the form of strict regulation.
I actually am coming to the point of believing regulation will HELP people make money. It will take away the manic way investors make money. Shit -- if you want to have that kind of unregulated thrill, go to Vegas.
Raine on 05/22/2012 15:39:53
Quote by Mondobubba:
I've been thinking about Bain and other private equity firms. If you remember that during the 80s LBOs (leverage buyouts) were all the rage. LBO basically means we are going to borrow a ton of money to buy the company, take it private, make it run more efficently (ie fire people), pay down the leverage, sell it for a tidy profit. Oh yeah we are going to collect fees up front as well. Since this all sounds very brutal and honest, people came up with the term "private equity." Sounds much nicer doesn't it?
Remember junk bonds? Many of the big LBOs of the 80s were financed with these. Since they have brutally high interest rates, that is where the culture of streamling (firing) comes from.
Junk bonds if you remember, were the CDOs of the 80s. Very risky and being used for things they shouldn't really have been used for. What is my little nostalgia trip about? Finance never learns lessons from past bad behavior.
I actually am coming to the point of believing regulation will HELP people make money. It will take away the manic way investors make money. Shit -- if you want to have that kind of unregulated thrill, go to Vegas.
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 15:42:02
Couple of more things, remember the whole S&L collapse? Why did that happen? Regulatory structure removed and the players took excessive risks.
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 15:42:02
Quote by Raine:AND--that is why they need the longest time out forever, in the form of strict regulation.Quote by Mondobubba:
I've been thinking about Bain and other private equity firms. If you remember that during the 80s LBOs (leverage buyouts) were all the rage. LBO basically means we are going to borrow a ton of money to buy the company, take it private, make it run more efficently (ie fire people), pay down the leverage, sell it for a tidy profit. Oh yeah we are going to collect fees up front as well. Since this all sounds very brutal and honest, people came up with the term "private equity." Sounds much nicer doesn't it?
Remember junk bonds? Many of the big LBOs of the 80s were financed with these. Since they have brutally high interest rates, that is where the culture of streamling (firing) comes from.
Junk bonds if you remember, were the CDOs of the 80s. Very risky and being used for things they shouldn't really have been used for. What is my little nostalgia trip about? Finance never learns lessons from past bad behavior.
I actually am coming to the point of believing regulation will HELP people make money. It will take away the manic way investors make money. Shit -- if you want to have that kind of unregulated thrill, go to Vegas.
Couple of more things, remember the whole S&L collapse? Why did that happen? Regulatory structure removed and the players took excessive risks.
Comment by wickedpam on 05/22/2012 15:45:19
wickedpam on 05/22/2012 15:45:19
we've been keeping our ears open - I drive over the some of the Occoquan Reservoir tributaries and the water was up pretty high this morning
the stuff they are calling Manassas is actually just PW county - think the closest one would be Piper Lane and that's in Bristow
the stuff they are calling Manassas is actually just PW county - think the closest one would be Piper Lane and that's in Bristow
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 15:49:53
Heavy rains up your way, eh?
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 15:49:53
Quote by Raine:
Mala, are you keeping up with the weather related happenings in Prince williams county?
Stuff like this: This is Aden Rd at Misty Creek…
Heavy rains up your way, eh?
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 15:51:37
If they are really believers in investment, they would belive in regulation -- it takes away that manic depressive part of the game -- balance it out, and people can become wealthy without facing jail time.
IT evens out the game, and gives everyone a fair shot at becoming the cream of the crop.
Raine on 05/22/2012 15:51:37
Quote by Mondobubba:
Couple of more things, remember the whole S&L collapse? Why did that happen? Regulatory structure removed and the players took excessive risks.
IT evens out the game, and gives everyone a fair shot at becoming the cream of the crop.
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 15:52:36
Well, just be careful on the drive home.
Raine on 05/22/2012 15:52:36
Quote by wickedpam:
we've been keeping our ears open - I drive over the some of the Occoquan Reservoir tributaries and the water was up pretty high this morning
the stuff they are calling Manassas is actually just PW county - think the closest one would be Piper Lane and that's in Bristow
Comment by wickedpam on 05/22/2012 15:54:11
our section of the metro area got a bad storm last night - lot of rain, thunder and lightening and all that good stuff. Think the farther west the worse it got.
wickedpam on 05/22/2012 15:54:11
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:
Mala, are you keeping up with the weather related happenings in Prince williams county?
Stuff like this: This is Aden Rd at Misty Creek…
Heavy rains up your way, eh?
our section of the metro area got a bad storm last night - lot of rain, thunder and lightening and all that good stuff. Think the farther west the worse it got.
Comment by wickedpam on 05/22/2012 15:55:34
oh defiantly, high water and falling trees
wickedpam on 05/22/2012 15:55:34
Quote by Raine:Well, just be careful on the drive home.Quote by wickedpam:
we've been keeping our ears open - I drive over the some of the Occoquan Reservoir tributaries and the water was up pretty high this morning
the stuff they are calling Manassas is actually just PW county - think the closest one would be Piper Lane and that's in Bristow
oh defiantly, high water and falling trees
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 15:56:23
I don't know if it's heavy rains or more the fact that we have had a steady rain the past few days with a lot of very dry soil. We've had a lot of steady rain the past few days, and a serious water deficit.
This is starting to remind me of the Atlanta area after the serious drought back in 2007. The rains came -- much needed, but the soil was already severely dry and the roots systems of trees were compromised. We saw a lot of fallen trees and road washouts because the land just wasn't used to water.
Raine on 05/22/2012 15:56:23
Quote by Mondobubba:
Heavy rains up your way, eh?
This is starting to remind me of the Atlanta area after the serious drought back in 2007. The rains came -- much needed, but the soil was already severely dry and the roots systems of trees were compromised. We saw a lot of fallen trees and road washouts because the land just wasn't used to water.
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 15:57:15
I will need to call MiL since she lives over on Bull Run Mountain.
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 15:57:15
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:
Mala, are you keeping up with the weather related happenings in Prince williams county?
Stuff like this: This is Aden Rd at Misty Creek…
Heavy rains up your way, eh?
our section of the metro area got a bad storm last night - lot of rain, thunder and lightening and all that good stuff. Think the farther west the worse it got.
I will need to call MiL since she lives over on Bull Run Mountain.
Comment by Will in Chicago on 05/22/2012 16:19:18
First, good morning bloggers!! I hope that everyone is well today.
Raine, regulations that provide financial stability will help prevent the wild market swings and bubbles that we saw in the markets in the past few decades. I would no more support an industry regulating itself than I would recommend that a surgeon perform brain surgery on himself.
Also, Raine, I did have a couple of late replies to yesterday's blog. (Naturally, a great post vanished as my internet connection crashed.) I will repeat one item of good news:
I now officially have my Massachusetts Initial Teacher's License and will have the hard copy in the next few days. So, I am using the unofficial copy for a few districts that will take it now and will update ALL my many applications later this week. Thanks to my friends here for their support, and I hope that I can see some of you the next time that I am in Massachusetts.
Will in Chicago on 05/22/2012 16:19:18
Quote by Raine:AND--that is why they need the longest time out forever, in the form of strict regulation.Quote by Mondobubba:
I've been thinking about Bain and other private equity firms. If you remember that during the 80s LBOs (leverage buyouts) were all the rage. LBO basically means we are going to borrow a ton of money to buy the company, take it private, make it run more efficently (ie fire people), pay down the leverage, sell it for a tidy profit. Oh yeah we are going to collect fees up front as well. Since this all sounds very brutal and honest, people came up with the term "private equity." Sounds much nicer doesn't it?
Remember junk bonds? Many of the big LBOs of the 80s were financed with these. Since they have brutally high interest rates, that is where the culture of streamling (firing) comes from.
Junk bonds if you remember, were the CDOs of the 80s. Very risky and being used for things they shouldn't really have been used for. What is my little nostalgia trip about? Finance never learns lessons from past bad behavior.
I actually am coming to the point of believing regulation will HELP people make money. It will take away the manic way investors make money. Shit -- if you want to have that kind of unregulated thrill, go to Vegas.
First, good morning bloggers!! I hope that everyone is well today.
Raine, regulations that provide financial stability will help prevent the wild market swings and bubbles that we saw in the markets in the past few decades. I would no more support an industry regulating itself than I would recommend that a surgeon perform brain surgery on himself.
Also, Raine, I did have a couple of late replies to yesterday's blog. (Naturally, a great post vanished as my internet connection crashed.) I will repeat one item of good news:
I now officially have my Massachusetts Initial Teacher's License and will have the hard copy in the next few days. So, I am using the unofficial copy for a few districts that will take it now and will update ALL my many applications later this week. Thanks to my friends here for their support, and I hope that I can see some of you the next time that I am in Massachusetts.
Comment by 
livingonli on 05/22/2012 16:22:06
livingonli on 05/22/2012 16:22:06
Good day, folks. Slept a little better this morning although I figured lack of sleep would have made me more tired. At least MASN got their ball games without concerns about rain delays and in Philly towards the end, they even played through the rain.
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 16:23:05
Bolded that quote. It's perfect.
I saw what you wrote last night and I do agree. I tried to stress that I Was not defending the Chicago PD. I do think there is a real and true middle ground here.
most important: CONGRATULATION! I think that things are finally taking a turn for the better for you, Will.
Raine on 05/22/2012 16:23:05
Quote by Will in Chicago:
First, good morning bloggers!! I hope that everyone is well today.
Raine, regulations that provide financial stability will help prevent the wild market swings and bubbles that we saw in the markets in the past few decades. I would no more support an industry regulating itself than I would recommend that a surgeon perform brain surgery on himself.
Also, Raine, I did have a couple of late replies to yesterday's blog. (Naturally, a great post vanished as my internet connection crashed.) I will repeat one item of good news:
I now officially have my Massachusetts Initial Teacher's License and will have the hard copy in the next few days. So, I am using the unofficial copy for a few districts that will take it now and will update ALL my many applications later this week. Thanks to my friends here for their support, and I hope that I can see some of you the next time that I am in Massachusetts.
I saw what you wrote last night and I do agree. I tried to stress that I Was not defending the Chicago PD. I do think there is a real and true middle ground here.
most important: CONGRATULATION! I think that things are finally taking a turn for the better for you, Will.
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 16:24:03
Welcome to the Day, Livin!
Raine on 05/22/2012 16:24:03
Quote by livingonli:
Good day, folks. Slept a little better this morning although I figured lack of sleep would have made me more tired. At least MASN got their ball games without concerns about rain delays and in Philly towards the end, they even played through the rain.
Welcome to the Day, Livin!
Comment by livingonli on 05/22/2012 16:38:44
livingonli on 05/22/2012 16:38:44
Sam Seder is going off on Rush right now and in the other half of the show we will see how far down the crapper he's gone as his show has gone down in the ratings.
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 17:42:32
Raine on 05/22/2012 17:42:32
Oh, this sounds like an interesting movie...
The trailer is at the link.
While details on the film remain murky, critics speculate the post-war philosophical thriller follows somewhat the beginnings of Scientology. A religious figure played by Philip Seymour Hoffman takes a troubled sailor in Phoenix' adrift character under his wing through a new school of belief.
Scientology founder and science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard himself had a shaky military history before establishing the religion in the 1950s.
Comment by wickedpam on 05/22/2012 17:50:28
ooookeeey then 
wickedpam on 05/22/2012 17:50:28
Quote by Raine:
Oh, this sounds like an interesting movie...The trailer is at the link.While details on the film remain murky, critics speculate the post-war philosophical thriller follows somewhat the beginnings of Scientology. A religious figure played by Philip Seymour Hoffman takes a troubled sailor in Phoenix' adrift character under his wing through a new school of belief.
Scientology founder and science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard himself had a shaky military history before establishing the religion in the 1950s.
ooookeeey then
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 18:57:27
for some reason, I see Tom Cruise and John travolta not being in this movie.... 
Raine on 05/22/2012 18:57:27
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:
Oh, this sounds like an interesting movie...The trailer is at the link.While details on the film remain murky, critics speculate the post-war philosophical thriller follows somewhat the beginnings of Scientology. A religious figure played by Philip Seymour Hoffman takes a troubled sailor in Phoenix' adrift character under his wing through a new school of belief.
Scientology founder and science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard himself had a shaky military history before establishing the religion in the 1950s.
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 19:00:49
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 19:00:49
Road trip to the Eastern Shore to c**k punch this rambling idiot who, after 10 minutes has not explained in clear way what the fuck he wants!
Comment by Scoopster on 05/22/2012 19:03:31
Scoopster on 05/22/2012 19:03:31
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 19:07:42
7 years this c**k punch has been in the waiting...
Raine on 05/22/2012 19:07:42
7 years this c**k punch has been in the waiting...
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 19:09:44
no, Michael Bey needs to be punched in the c**k until it bruised and swollen for his various crimes against cinema. I hate with a white hot passion all of his films.
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 19:09:44
no, Michael Bey needs to be punched in the c**k until it bruised and swollen for his various crimes against cinema. I hate with a white hot passion all of his films.
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 19:14:08
Raine on 05/22/2012 19:14:08
OK, WAIT.
PLEASE someone tell me what a fake chinese part is? Maybe I'm being a picky here, but fake is not counterfeit.
PLEASE someone tell me what a fake chinese part is?
The US military's planes and helicopters are full of counterfeit electronicparts, most of which originated in China, according to a new Senate report.
The year-long Armed Services Committee probe identified 1,800 cases of fake parts being found in aircraft, particularly in Navy helicopters, cargo planes, and Poseidon jets.
More than 70% of the fake parts hail from China, with the UK and Canada being the next-biggest culprits, the BBC reports.
Comment by BobR on 05/22/2012 19:45:14
From my 3 years working for a military contractor making munitions, I know that part of the reason for the high cost is the exacting paperwork trail required for every nut and bolt (and resistor and capacitor) that goes into the assembly.
Why are we sourcing components from China in the first place?
BobR on 05/22/2012 19:45:14
Quote by Raine:
OK, WAIT.
PLEASE someone tell me what a fake chinese part is?Maybe I'm being a picky here, but fake is not counterfeit.The US military's planes and helicopters are full of counterfeit electronicparts, most of which originated in China, according to a new Senate report.
The year-long Armed Services Committee probe identified 1,800 cases of fake parts being found in aircraft, particularly in Navy helicopters, cargo planes, and Poseidon jets.
More than 70% of the fake parts hail from China, with the UK and Canada being the next-biggest culprits, the BBC reports.
From my 3 years working for a military contractor making munitions, I know that part of the reason for the high cost is the exacting paperwork trail required for every nut and bolt (and resistor and capacitor) that goes into the assembly.
Why are we sourcing components from China in the first place?
Comment by BobR on 05/22/2012 19:46:23
BobR on 05/22/2012 19:46:23
btw - I am still looking for coverage for Friday's blog...
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 19:53:09
Scoop, my version of Hell is the AMC Orange Park Mall 24 mulitplex theater showing nothing but movies directed by Michael Bey and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 19:53:09
Quote by Mondobubba:
no, Michael Bey needs to be punched in the c**k until it bruised and swollen for his various crimes against cinema. I hate with a white hot passion all of his films.
Scoop, my version of Hell is the AMC Orange Park Mall 24 mulitplex theater showing nothing but movies directed by Michael Bey and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 19:59:55
What that sounds like is they are using the two terms to mean the same thing.
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 19:59:55
Quote by Raine:
OK, WAIT.
PLEASE someone tell me what a fake chinese part is?Maybe I'm being a picky here, but fake is not counterfeit.The US military's planes and helicopters are full of counterfeit electronicparts, most of which originated in China, according to a new Senate report.
The year-long Armed Services Committee probe identified 1,800 cases of fake parts being found in aircraft, particularly in Navy helicopters, cargo planes, and Poseidon jets.
More than 70% of the fake parts hail from China, with the UK and Canada being the next-biggest culprits, the BBC reports.
What that sounds like is they are using the two terms to mean the same thing.
Comment by wickedpam on 05/22/2012 20:04:31
I'll do it, If no one else has something pressing they want to blog about
wickedpam on 05/22/2012 20:04:31
Quote by BobR:
btw - I am still looking for coverage for Friday's blog...
I'll do it, If no one else has something pressing they want to blog about
Comment by Raine on 05/22/2012 20:09:47
In my view, this is the very question we should be asking.
These are not fake, they may be counterfeit. If the latter, that is a real problem with the contractors. If they are neither -- then yes, WHY are we sourcing components from china? I think that this article misses this point.
and yes, I got it from the KTLK front page -- it has been deeply disappointing to me for a few months.
Raine on 05/22/2012 20:09:47
Quote by BobR:Quote by Raine:
OK, WAIT.
PLEASE someone tell me what a fake chinese part is?Maybe I'm being a picky here, but fake is not counterfeit.The US military's planes and helicopters are full of counterfeit electronicparts, most of which originated in China, according to a new Senate report.
The year-long Armed Services Committee probe identified 1,800 cases of fake parts being found in aircraft, particularly in Navy helicopters, cargo planes, and Poseidon jets.
More than 70% of the fake parts hail from China, with the UK and Canada being the next-biggest culprits, the BBC reports.
From my 3 years working for a military contractor making munitions, I know that part of the reason for the high cost is the exacting paperwork trail required for every nut and bolt (and resistor and capacitor) that goes into the assembly.
Why are we sourcing components from China in the first place?
These are not fake, they may be counterfeit. If the latter, that is a real problem with the contractors. If they are neither -- then yes, WHY are we sourcing components from china? I think that this article misses this point.
and yes, I got it from the KTLK front page -- it has been deeply disappointing to me for a few months.
Comment by Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 20:22:10
I think they aren't sourcing them from China. The fake/counterfit parts are made in China. Then at some point they are label as the right part and get inserted into the supply chain.
Mondobubba on 05/22/2012 20:22:10
Quote by Raine:In my view, this is the very question we should be asking.Quote by BobR:Quote by Raine:
OK, WAIT.
PLEASE someone tell me what a fake chinese part is?Maybe I'm being a picky here, but fake is not counterfeit.The US military's planes and helicopters are full of counterfeit electronicparts, most of which originated in China, according to a new Senate report.
The year-long Armed Services Committee probe identified 1,800 cases of fake parts being found in aircraft, particularly in Navy helicopters, cargo planes, and Poseidon jets.
More than 70% of the fake parts hail from China, with the UK and Canada being the next-biggest culprits, the BBC reports.
From my 3 years working for a military contractor making munitions, I know that part of the reason for the high cost is the exacting paperwork trail required for every nut and bolt (and resistor and capacitor) that goes into the assembly.
Why are we sourcing components from China in the first place?
These are not fake, they may be counterfeit. If the latter, that is a real problem with the contractors. If they are neither -- then yes, WHY are we sourcing components from china? I think that this article misses this point.
and yes, I got it from the KTLK front page -- it has been deeply disappointing to me for a few months.
I think they aren't sourcing them from China. The fake/counterfit parts are made in China. Then at some point they are label as the right part and get inserted into the supply chain.