Eideard

Remember, when the Yanks say, “Jump!” – you ask “how high?”
Daylife/Getty Images used by permission

Plans by the British government to make significant cuts in defense spending have spurred concerns among American military experts about Britain’s ability to carry out its role as the United States’ most dependable ally.

The Brits used to use the term “batman” to describe a similar purpose within their imperial army. Americans are more likely to say “flunkey”.

A wrenching government spending review has pitted Britain’s army against its navy, spawned a series of leaks to the British media and raised the question of whether the military that emerges from the budget cuts — expected to be 10 percent to 20 percent of current outlays — will be a strategically agile force that can join the United States on major combat operations.

American and British officials said that they did not expect any cutbacks to curtail Britain’s capabilities to fight in Afghanistan over the next five years…

The ten or fifteen years after that might be a problem, though.

Mr. Fox told reporters later that, after any cuts, the British military would be able to respond to a broad array of threats and retain capabilities particularly valued by the Pentagon. He identified those as Britain’s Special Forces, its nuclear deterrent, its participation in the Joint Strike Fighter program and its ability to deploy substantial forces when needed.

While they joust with Israel to see who gets to be the 51st state, the various wings of the British government are working like little beavers to assure Uncle Sugar they need to stay on the death and destruction payroll.

Daylife/AP Photo used by permission

A federal judge has ordered the reinstatement of an openly lesbian former Air Force major who was dismissed from the military under the government’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

Judge Ronald Leighton of Tacoma, Washington, made his ruling Friday. It is the latest legal and political setback for the Obama administration, which is seeking to end the policy through a legislative and executive solution.

Uh, I would have to interject, here, that Obama is trying to dump it off on Congress. He knows, you and I know, that will accomplish nothing. Especially before the fall election. There is nothing “executive” happening.

And he apparently hasn’t the integrity to live up to his promises to the Gay and Lesbian community made during his presidential campaign.

Maj. Margaret Witt, a decorated flight nurse with 20 years of service, had sued to return to the Air Force Reserve. She was honorably discharged in July 2007 on the grounds that she had a six-year relationship with another woman, a civilian…

“Her discharge from the Air Force Reserves violated her substantive due process rights under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. She should be restored to her position as a flight nurse with the 446th AES as soon as is practicable,” wrote the judge…

She was described in employee reports and by trial witnesses as an “exemplary officer” who was an effective leader, caring mentor, and skilled clinician. She had hid her homosexuality for years…

Witt’s lawyers from the ACLU argued the Spokane native’s sexuality never led to any problems within her unit. Several members of her squadron had testified they would welcome her back.

“Today we heard the hammer of justice strike for Major Margaret Witt,” said ACLU of Washington Executive Director Kathleen Taylor. “We look forward to the day when all members of our military can serve our country without invidious discrimination. To discharge her simply because of her sexual orientation was entirely unfair to her and unwise for the military, which needs her significant skills.”

The saddest thing is that the Democrats and Obama are a slightly better alternative to the intellectually and ethically corrupt thugs in the Republican Party and their teabagger Brown Shirts. On some issues.

I can’t be moved to vote for the evil of two lessers.

We come in peace!

Political and anti-war activists in the Midwest were the target today of searches the FBI called part of an investigation into the “material support of terrorism.”

Warrants led to the search of five residences and one office in Minneapolis, Minnesota, said FBI spokesman Steve Warfield, who said there were no arrests. Two other searches were conducted in Chicago, Illinois.

Activist Tom Burke in Chicago said he and others in Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan were served subpoenas to testify before a grand jury. He also said computer hard drives were taken from locations in both cities, as well as a cell phone in Minneapolis…

A coalition of groups represented on the Fight Back website released a statement condemning the raids as “harassment…”

The coalition came together after a large anti-war protest at the Republication National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul in 2008, Burke said…

Jessica Sundin of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee told CNN agents took a hard drive, paper files, photos, a cell phone and her passport during a search of her Minneapolis residence Friday…

Sending American weapons and troops abroad is not the solution to international problems, Sundin said.

“We’ve been unapologetic in our opposition to U.S. intervention,” she said.

It seems like old times, old methods, are never abandoned by the Kreepy Kops in Washington. And – as usual – it doesn’t matter whether there is a Republican or Democrat in the White House, “investigating” people who work for peaceful solutions as an alternative to Uncle Sugar’s armies – is still an acceptable tactic.

Their politics are still decent, as well

The world’s top karaoke singers have flown into Russia to battle it out for the world title in the emerging “sport” and the unusual top prize of one million Siberian dumplings.

Contestants from 28 countries, including the UK, have already started to belt out hit songs from the likes of Abba and Queen giving impassioned performances they hope will win the 2010 Karaoke World Championships…

However, this year’s top prize of one million Siberian dumplings or “pelmeni” has raised eyebrows.

Natalia Pilyutina, a Russian estate agent who won the top female prize last year, suggested the winner donate the dumplings to poorer countries taking part in the contest.

They are terrific dumplings, especially when made with potato flour and served with butter and onion gravy.

Yum!

UPDATE: There is a winner!

Remember when CNN was one of the best news sources in the world?

CNN President Jim Walton announced a major shakeup of CNN management today, replacing the head of CNN/US with a long-time CNN executive known for his business turn-around skills.

HLN head Ken Jautz takes over as executive vice president of CNN/US, replacing Jonathan Klein, who headed the network for six years. CNN’s chief marketing officer Scot Safon will run HLN, replacing Jautz.

Walton also said he would hire a managing editor to “help leverage our newsgathering resources across multiple platforms.”

Most recently, Jautz has presided over the revamp and rebranding of the HLN channel, introducing [crap] signature programs such as Nancy Grace, Joy Behar, ShowBiz Tonight, Issues with Jane Velez Mitchell and Morning Express with Robin Meade…

Safon takes over HLN after heading CNN’s marketing for the last eight years, winning wide industry accolades for his marketing campaign for CNN and CNN=Politics. Before joining CNN, Safon oversaw marketing for one of CNN’s sister channels, TNT…

We continue to witness the devolution of a seminal news organization into the sort of grubby, entertainment-centered crap machine that doesn’t grow past mediocrity at that role.

The only person associated with CNN who deserves concern is Ted Turner – who admits that selling his networks to Time-Warner was the dumbest thing he ever did.

Everything is an assault craft to the Israeli Navy

A Palestinian fisherman has been shot dead by the Israeli navy off the Gaza Strip.

“Fisherman Mohammed Bakr died by a bullet by the Israeli navy today in the sea north of the Gaza Strip,” Adham Abu Selmiya, heading the Palestinian territory’s medical services, said on Friday.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said the fisherman was in restricted waters “heading towards Israel”…

Hundreds marched in the funeral for the 20-year-old fisherman in Beit Lahiya, shooting in the air and chanting slogans.

Israeli navy vessels enforcing a naval blockade on the Palestinian territory regularly fire at Palestinian fishermen to prevent them from venturing more than a few kilometres from shore.

Cossacks think it’s great fun to use the serfs for target practice.

Seems to me I recall a legend about a fisher of men being killed in the same region by imperial overlords.

The world’s oldest twins, a pair of French sisters who turned 98 on Thursday, put their longevity down to joie de vivre, or quite simply enjoying life.

Raymonde and Lucienne Wattelade, who are officially recognised as the world’s oldest twins by the Guiness World Records, said the other secret to long life was regular sport.

Both were in the French gymnastics team in the 1930s and continue to dance waltzes as the local casino in Saint-Georges-de-Didonne, south-western France.

The pair, in perfect health, have lived together in a family home for the past five years and are partial to tarot card reading and their favourite tipples: pastis for Raymonde and whisky for Lucienne…

“We live in the present, it’s pointless thinking about the past or the future – we’re still 20 (in our heads),” said Lucienne, who is ten minutes younger than her sister.

Above all, laughter was the key to a good life, she added. “If you don’t laugh, you don’t live.”

My kind of existentialism. Save morosité for the types who wish their non-conformity didn’t keep them from being insiders.

Stand up straight and laugh at the idiots in charge of the asylum.

The distinctive “Flying B” that adorns the bonnet of Bentley cars has prompted a recall of almost 1,500 top of the range vehicles over fears it could impale pedestrians during an collision.

The metal motif is designed to retract in the event of an accident but a flaw has been found that in some models can cause the mechanism to fail. The fault has prompted the company, which was created in 1919, to recall 1,426 cars across the world including 298 in Britain…

Millionaire owners of the vehicles…have been told to bring in their cars for a one hour repair.

The Flying B badge at the centre of the recall dates back to the late 1920s, when W O Bentley was operating out of Cricklewood in north London.

It survived until the 1970s, when it was withdrawn for safety reasons…posing the risk of pedestrians being impaled on the badge although, according to Bentley, there have been no reports of any such accidents or injuries ever happening..

The probability of an event occurring is equal to the number of times the event has occurred in the past divided by the total number of opportunities for it to occur.

Zero divided by any rational number = less than zero.

I used to be Amarillo on business every other week. Last stop on the way home from West Texas. Amarillo is Culture Wars 101.

Between the John Birch Society and warring fundamentalist Protestant sects – everyone hates someone. That some gnat’s ass little clot of Christians got together a dozen acolytes to burn someone else’s holy book probably wouldn’t garner local TV coverage.

They’d have to video record it themselves and give the coaster to a TV station.

This dude who broke up their book burning probably made it on camera because someone was there to watch him and the other skateboarders.

Har!

A Summit County man hiding in a trash container had an unexpected assist from a BFI truck, resulting in his transportation by air ambulance to a Cleveland hospital.

Alliance police continue the investigation into the incident involving James Michael Brienzo, who was injured following officers’ response to a “suspected theft in progress” at the Wal-Mart in Alliance shortly after 6 a.m. Wednesday…

The alleged suspect exited the store through a fire door, with a shopping cart full of merchandise, observed police and fled on foot. After a brief foot chase, officers lost the suspect “who fled into the darkness behind the store,” according to Morris’ press release.

However, Alliance dispatchers received a call from one of Brienzo’s friends who stated Brienzo phoned him from the inside of a trash container. Brienzo allegedly relayed that he had been hiding in there; however, the container had been picked up and the trash deposited in a trash truck.

Brienzo asked for help.

Using the GPS in Brienzo’s phone, dispatchers located the BFI truck at North Walnut Avenue and River Street, where officers climbed in the “trash compacting” truck and located him.

However, because they could not free Brienzo, the truck was eventually emptied. Brienzo was transported to Mercy Medical Center in Canton by Stark Summit Ambulance before being flown by helicopter to MetroHealth Hospital in Cleveland.

He’s well crunched; but, alive.