Blog
Government Accountability
Operation Fast & Furious
It's one of the longest running Congressional investigations of our time: the probe into 'Fast and Furious', the government's secret operation to allow thousands of weapons to be trafficked to Mexico's killer drug cartels. In many respects, the story began when federal agent John Dodson agreed to an interview with me in March of 2011. It was highly unusual, if not unprecedented, for a sitting federal agent to blow the whistle on his government bosses. In today's cover story, we catch up on unfinished business more than six years later. — Sharyl Attkisson
We were essentially flooding the border region with firearms from the US civilian market, and then tracking and tallying the results as they were used in crimes on both sides of the border....
When Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed, I immediately noticed that my agency was attempting to cover up any link between the investigation and the strategy that we employed and the death of Agent Terry. — John Dodson
It's been seven years, and the principle's in this harebrained scheme are still peeking out from under the covers!
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Weather History
Stepping through Andrew
This coming August 24th marks the 25th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew; the storm that devastated the southern part of Florida.
In 1992, the era pre-dating widespread cellphone and internet service, it was television and transistor radio's that people relied on for 'real-time' information during a weather crisis.
Then, like now, it's the one with the most integrity and robust infrastructure that gets the highest ratings.
Meteorologist Bryan Norcross, in his recent book My Hurricane Andrew Story, tells the story about that storm.
Someone at WTVJ in Miami composed clips of then live TV coverage that was broadcast prior to and during the landfall of Andrew. Below is a copy of that video. "You'll see anchor Tom Randalls, anchor Kelly Craig, reporter Ed O'Dell from the Bahamas, anchor/reporter Gerry Helfman, sports anchor (at the time) Tony Segreto, Jose Diaz Balart, reporter David Bloom, and National Hurricane Center Director Bob Sheets. Included is the time when I got a bit punchy talking about whoever invented the street-numbering system in Hialeah, and the decision to move to the "bunker" at about 3:00 am, which we did at about 3:30 am. There was a large construction crane across the street, which we weren't sure would stay up. Also, the roof on the old WTVJ building was suspect. It's eerie to see the radar in tact and the storm approaching, knowing that it would be destroyed at 4:35 am."
Semper Paratus!
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Oceanography
Cypress Forrest Found 9 Miles Offshore
The Underwater Forest, a new 28-minute documentary by Ben Raines, produced by This is Alabama, details the discovery and exploration of an ancient cypress forest found sixty feet underwater in the Gulf of Mexico, about 9-15 miles south of Gulf Shores, Alabama. Scientist's speculate that the forest dates to an ice age more than 60,000 years ago, when sea levels were about 400 feet lower than they are today.
This is Alabama's version of Arizona's Petrified Forrest; this one for Scuba divers only. The claim is that the field of cypress was uncovered by hurricane Ivan; it's debatable as to how stable the ruins will remain, now that it has been uncovered.
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Radar
iPhone Radar Displays
If it weren't for the availability of three-dimensional weather radar on iPhone applications, I'd probably still be using my old cellular "flip phone." Granted, there are also other non-weather "app's" that make an iPhone extremely useful nowadays, but when you live along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, it's comforting to have a Radar repeater clipped to your belt.
I guess that the underlying reason why this is so important to me is that I grew up in in the part of the USA known as "tornado alley." In 1948, when I was just a munchkin, we lost our home in a devastating tornado. Fifteen years later, I was operating a Radar on an Ocean Station Vessel, tracking storms and airplanes in the middle of the North Atlantic ocean. The utility and value of Radar for weather detection was firmly fixed. Later on, we made it through the 1974 Super Outbreak of tornado's (the only time in U.S. history that an entire state was under a tornado warning for 18 hours of continuous tornado activity), along with several other near misses over the years.
On Thursday, 9 April 1953, about five years after we lost our home in that 1948 tornado, the first recorded radar observations of a tornadic thunderstorm were made by Mr. Donald Staggs using a research radar system operated by the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at Champaign. Mr. Staggs, an electrical engineer, was testing the radar that day in preparation for an upcoming field project. He recognized the intriguing nature of the echo patterns that were being detected late that afternoon and voluntarily continued the radar operations into the evening hours. Those "intriguing echo patterns" that Donald Staggs saw were the forerunner of what is now called a Tornadic Vortex Signature (TVS) by those using Doppler radar. When a TVS shows up on the screen at your local NOAA weather room, it's quite possibly the forerunner to the dreaded Hook Echo (HOOK) shown in the above illustration. And, the tornado warning will be sounded posthaste.
It's nice to have a Radar display handy!
There are several so-called "weather apps" available for the iPhone, but very few good one's. Most of them lack good radar coverage and tend to focus only on temperature and rain potential. Go for the best "real time" three-dimensional Doppler shift graphics!
One of the best free apps that I have found is WU's Storm. It has a lot of bells and whistles, but you can turn off anything that you don't need, especially the stuff that runs your battery down. It also comes with some extra-topical (non weather related) advertising that cannot be turned off, but like I said it's a free app, and the ads are incorporated in a manner that doesn't interfere too much with the display. Overall, good features and a good design. I'm not sure what the future holds for this app though. The Weather Channel purchased WU, and there have been some signs of tampering with success. If they can leave it the way it is in its current version (Spring 2017), the app is highly recommended.
I believe that the reason why we see such a difference in the quality of graphic presentations associated with the various iPhone applications is the fact that, as noted at unisys.com, there are several types of radar data available for inputing to an iPhone app., including Manually Digitized Radar (MDR), Radar Coded Messages (RCM), and (NEXt-generation RADar) NEXRAD data (NIDS). These data come from meteorological radars placed at various locations across the US. The 'Hi-Res Radar' is a composite (often referred to as a mosaic) of all NWS WSR-88D Doppler radars located throughout the continental US. Base reflectivity, in precipitation mode, is used to create this composite. The images are updated every 6 minutes.
Get a good application for your smart phone and set it up the way you like it. Then, when it comes to weather, there should be no surprises.
Happy hurricane season to all my neighbors on the Gulf Coast!
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Politics
Geopolitical Speculation
Having been born and raised in the state of Indiana, I'm aware of the various definitions of the term "Hoosier." Nobody seems to be settled on the true origin of the word. My favorite definition of the term 'hoosier' is 'a Kentuckian who tried to get to Detroit on a half tank of gas', and I think that it's about as accurate as most of the other speculative etymology... But now, the term 'hoosier' might have to include refugees from what was once Illinois. One of their resident's writes:
Illinois is like Venezuela now, a fiscally broken state that has lost its will to live, although for the moment, we still have enough toilet paper.
But before we run out of the essentials, let's finally admit that after decade upon decade of taxing and spending and borrowing, Illinois has finally run out of other people's money.
Those "other people" include taxpayers who've abandoned the state. And now Illinois faces doomsday...
So why not let our friendly neighbors like Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri and Kentucky just take the parts they want?
Illinois' plight is not a laughing matter, but just who was laughing when the warnings were issued?
It's obvious that we have to be prepared for just about anything these days.
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Marksmanship
New Distance Record
“The Canadian Special Operations Command can confirm that a member of Joint Task Force 2 successfully hit a target at 3,540 metres,” [2.2 miles] the forces said in a statement.
The elite sniper was using a McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle while firing from a high-rise during an operation that took place within the last month in Iraq. It took under 10 seconds to hit the target.
That ten-second wait would have been dramatic!
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Law and Order
Domestic Enemy
OMAHA, Ne (FOX42KPTM) - A Nebraska Democratic Party official is now in hot water. An audio recording was posted on YouTube Thursday with Phil Montag, a technology chairman, voicing how glad he was Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise got shot last week at a baseball practice.
This illustrates the attitude of the left-wing element of our society. When people stop caring about the effect of violence, then we can expect to see more of it.
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Law
Bearing Arms: Interstate Reciprocity
National reciprocity legislation has been sitting in Congress since January 3, 2017, and we have heard of a growing roster of co-sponsors [at least 200 to date] but little else. Suddenly, following the June 14 attack in Alexandria, numerous Republican Congressional members were consumed with national reciprocity.
But the problem is that many House members now focused on national reciprocity are consumed with special carry privileges for Congress; carry privileges the common man will never enjoy.
An elitist jolt may be what is needed to overcome Congressional inertia, but there is no way to mix rights and privilege in a resolution to the problem! The time has come to admit that our national patchwork system of laws, in their present form, constitutes an infringement on a civil right enumerated by our Constitution — and to do something about it.
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Law
What If?
"Although he was seriously wounded, it is a lucky thing that Rep. Stephen Scalise made it to baseball practice on Wednesday morning. Due to his position as majority whip, armed Capitol Hill Police accompanied Scalise."
“The only reason — the only reason — why any of us walked out of this thing: By the grace of God, one of the folks here had a weapon to fire back and give us a moment to find cover. —Rep. Mike Bishop (R-Mich.)
"Many Republican representatives have concealed handgun permits from their home states, but carrying in the District of Columbia is illegal for all but a select few D.C. residents. The attack occurred in relatively gun-friendly Virginia, though that is irrelevant to a representative going directly between baseball practice and Capitol Hill."
The majority of us do not have an armed security detail!
It's Time for a Federal Firearms Law that respects and honors those cases where citizens are engaged in interstate travel, and have a permit to carry firearms issued by their home-state. Isn't that what Federalism is all about? After all, it is a civil right — a right guaranteed by the Constitution no less, that we are dealing with.
Hello?
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Law
It's Time for a National Reciprocity Law!
All of the law abiding citizen's who have jumped through the bureaucratic hoops necessary for obtaining a state-issued firearms permit are getting tired of waiting for Congress to come forth with some logical legislation regarding their ability to defend themselves and their family during interstate travel.
The voters elected representatives whom they thought were willing to fight the left-wing bunch that advocate vulnerability to the likes of the late miscreant in Alexandria, VA.
Now's the time for Congress to start moving, to step up to the plate; in the words of Judge Jeanine:
Amen to that, Judge!
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Safety
Traumatic Ten Minutes
The sun doesn't heat air, but it does heat objects. When those objects are inside an enclosed space, the temperature inside that space will rise accordingly. If that space is the inside of an automobile, it doesn't take long for the situation to become life-threatening for both human's and animal's.
This graph (from noheatstroke.org) illustrates a deadly reality. The most rapid rise in the above curve occurs in the first ten minutes of elapsed time! If you 'think' that it's OK to leave a child or animal in the car for 'just a few minutes', because 'I won't be gone long', it could be a fatal mistake. Too many people have discovered that fact the hard way.
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Law and Order
Personal Security
We are told that "Sen. Orrin Hatch was deputized as a special deputy U.S. marshal in 1993 so he could carry a gun after receiving death threats."
So, back in 1993 it was officially recognized that being personally armed was a legitimate means of providing for one's safety, yet here it is 2017, almost a quarter of a century later, and we still have laws making innocent citizens sitting ducks for people, like this feral left-winger, that have no respect for the law.
If there could have been a few law-abiding armed citizens scattered around that ballpark in Alexandria, Virginia, the miscreant would probably not have gotten off more than one round.
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Safety
Freedom and Responsibility
Today is Tannerite® Appreciation Day
Nothing wrong with having some fun, but……..eighth-grade-level physics induced perception seems to be lacking nowadays.
Tannerite® is the brand name of a simple binary compound consisting of a fuel and an oxidizer. When the two parts remain unmixed, it’s relatively inert. When mixed, it becomes an explosive that is shock sensitive enough to initiate with a rifle bullet—from a safe distance.
After what I’ve seen on Youtube, I’m surprised that more people haven’t blown themselves up with the stuff. This guy almost did!
I’ve seen several other Youtube video’s showing people with questionable judgment who are apparently trying to achieve the Youtube honor of igniting the “largest” Tannerite® explosion.
Problems arise when the stuff is packed in or near any kind of fragmenting substance or container—which people are doing in several of the video’s that I've seen. One of them shows a guy who lost a leg because he was standing too close to an old lawn mower that had been so packed.
I’m old enough to remember when a person could buy dynamite by the stick, over the counter in any hardware store—even after potent fireworks had been outlawed in the state. That changed when too many people started misusing dynamite. Now it’s just another addition to a long list of bureaucratic regulations, and It’s just a matter of time until Tannerite® is added to that list.
That’s the way liberty and freedom are lost, not to mention arms and legs.
Stay safe!
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America's Cup 2017
The Art of the Pitchpole
Just imagine trying to scoop dirt with your 'Bobcat' while you're traveling at 30MPH. It would probably look similar to this:
There were no major physical injuries to any of the crew, but some damage to the pride and carbon fiber. As they say, "that's racing!"
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Government
Yet Another Reminder
In this 'era of crisis', events of this week most certainly bring to mind a famous statement made by President Ronald Reagan regarding the fundamental nature of government.
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Operation "Fast and Furious"
Eight years of talk...
Over the course of the last eight years, we have seen and heard bits and pieces of evidence that clearly indicate that the 'gun-walking' operation known as "Fast & Furious", the same one that resulted in the death of agent Brian Terry, and the same one that took place at the Mexican border in 2009, was choreographed from high-level in Washington DC. We've seen sworn testimony that the operation was not only injudicious in its concept and nature, but contained numerous procedural violations. Yet, nobody has been singled out as the author of this scheme and held accountable. If there is such a thing as plausible conjecture, it billows from operation fast and furious. It's time for the DOJ to come forth with the truth.
It's a big deal because a dedicated public servant died, and his family deserve the truth!
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Law and Order
Fast & Furious Report: Obstruction of Congress by the Department of Justice
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has released a report regarding the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) response under Attorney General Eric Holder to the congressional investigation into Operation Fast and Furious.
The report highlights key documents and communications uncovered during the course of federal litigation which detail DOJ’s stonewalling of both Congress and the family of slain Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.
Key takeaways from the report:
- DOJ viewed the Terry family as a public relations nuisance and failed to provide the family with answers regarding Brian’s murder. Despite promises from Arizona-based DOJ officials and senior DOJ officials in Washington, D.C., documents show the Department did not make a genuine effort to keep the Terry family informed or involved in the investigation and prosecution of their son’s murder.
- Page 76: “It is what we will have to expect from this woman (sic) and Terry’s brother for the rest of the case.” – Assistant U.S. Attorney John Evans in response to a news clipping where Brian Terry’s stepmother pleads for answers.
- Page 214: “USAO had . . . provided them with all information they are entitled to regarding the case . . . the Terry family is not a victim as defined by the CVRA [Crime Victims Rights Act].” – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Scheel in an email to Faith Burton, Special Counsel, DOJ Office of Legislative Affairs.
- The Justice Department’s internal probe was largely a sham, and it prioritized politics and spin over public safety. The Department’s efforts focused on managing the day-to-day media cycle and protecting its senior political appointees rather than thoroughly investigating allegations of misconduct raised by whistleblowers. Documents show senior officials at Main Justice conducted just a cursory inquiry and accepted information received from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona at face value, despite these being the very offices responsible for the wrongdoing.
- Page 82: “Based on my conversation yesterday with the AUSA and Crim Chief, and based on prior conversations with Dennis Burke and with the ATF SAC, this investigation was conducted – and the decisions about when to seize guns were made – thoughtfully, carefully, and strategically” – Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jason Weinstein to a group of senior Justice Department officials on February 26, 2011, describing the extraordinarily limited scope of the Department’s internal investigation at that point.
Further, documents show Attorney General Holder managed key aspects of the Department’s responses to Congress and to media inquiries rather than focusing on managing DOJ’s law enforcement components. There are no documents to demonstrate the Attorney General ever devised a strategy to track down the more than 2,000 firearms lost along the Southwest border. Nor are there any documents to demonstrate the Attorney General coordinated assistance for the Terry family. Instead, documents show Attorney General Holder absorbed in only the political implications of the various milestone events throughout 2011.
- Page 201: “The AG wants both of you to stick around after the [daily staff meeting] each day to discuss the status of the ATF matter.” – Chief of Staff Gary Grindler email to Associate Deputy Attorney General Steve Reich and DOJ Office of Public Affairs Deputy Director Tracy Schmaler.
- Page 205: “Hit back HARD” – Attorney General Holder in response to The Washington Post’s coverage.
- Page 225: “I don’t want to jinx it but it really is astounding that the plan worked – so far.” – Deputy Attorney General James Cole in an email to Attorney General Holder
- Page 237: “‘Holder briefed’!!!??? Scream at her.” – Attorney General Holder to Tracy Schmaler in response to coverage by CBS News.
- DOJ demonstrated a complete disregard for proper congressional oversight. The documents reveal senior Justice Department officials, including the Attorney General, as having a disdain for the congressional oversight function. With support and direction from senior leaders, staff in DOJ’s Office of Legislative Affairs consistently deployed tactics to delay and withhold information from Congress.
- Page 116: “Much more likely it’s the reverse: we’ll provide only some and withhold a substantial number, and they concern not just the murder investigation but also the longstanding Fast and Furious investigation.” – DOJ Office of Legal Counsel Special Counsel Paul Colborn in an email discussing how DOJ would respond to requests from Congress.
- Page 117: “I am also reluctant to empower Grassley’s attempt as RMM [Ranking Minority Member] to conduct oversight by organizing a briefing.” – Paul Colborn email to DOJ colleagues.
- Page 167: “But there are important reasons for not giving Grassley everything he is asking for: it would embolden him in future fights and would ‘use up’ a lot of the material that we will eventually need to release to Issa . . . as the oversight struggle continues.” – Office of Legislative Affairs Assistant Attorney General Ron Welch in an email to DOJ colleagues.
You can download the full report here.
We could use a macerator on the swamp drain!
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Weather: Summer Heat
A Deadly Chain
Dehydration—heat cramps—heat exhaustion—heat stroke.
Summer temperatures and heat are something that we need to deal with wisely. Your body is sensitive to temperature change, and negative physical reactions can happen quickly.
With extreme summer heat, hydration becomes a main issue; don't let it become a critical issue. Remember that dehydration affects everything in your body, sometimes beyond repair.
Remember the symptoms of serious heat-related illnesses and how to stay cool and safe.
Break the chain early!
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Culture
Now for a show of responsibility
It has been reported that eleven year-old Barron Trump was upset about the irresponsible behavior exhibited by a certain d-class 'comedienne' recently. His reaction is certainly understandable.
I'm hoping that Barron's father gives him a new rifle for his next birthday. I don't think that it has ever been recorded, that we have ever seen, the President of the United States taking his son to the range for a lesson in rifle marksmanship and safety.
What a photo-op that would be!
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Hearing Health
Patent Ignorance
It's one thing to live a life under the influence of Hollywood fantasy, but it can become detrimental to society when that fantasy is used as a basis for political action. Unfortunately, there are people who do that. One of them, Shannon Watts, in an embarrassing display of ignorance, paranoia and projection, is now complaining that those Hollywood "silencers" really are effective in making a gun go 'pfffft' instead of 'bang'. And, she claims that the "gun lobby" is using the euphemistic term "suppressor" in order to deceive everyone.
I don't wish hearing loss and tinnitus on anyone, but it would be edifying for Watts to try it for a day!
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