His Royale Pain in the @rsn President Obama

Alright so Obama is in NY today to leave a wreath at Ground Zero in memory of those lost during the 9/11 WTC disaster. Especially now that they (supposably) got Bin Laden ....

Very nice gesture ... Very Presidential! Although considering that he has been in office for over two years now, it's about time he got ther ... That's right - Obama has not been to WTC plaza since he took office (is it any real surprise though? He'd might have to give up a golf game)

He is also going to visit a police precinct and fire station who lost personale who were trying to save victims that day as well .... Ok, that's really nice too.

So he's eating lunch with the fire fighters ... Ok, I kind of like that ... And since he is going to their house he will eat whatever food they will have prepared, right? Well minus anything he's allergic too -- I think we would expect that from any guest.

"this what we have, you are welcome to partake"

They have released the menu for the lunch at the station:
Egg Plant Parmesan
Scallops
Shrimp
Pasta in cream sauce
Spring salad

When I first heard this menu I thought "maybe he's having it catered for them" nice gesture ... Then they said that the firefighters would likely be prepping it themselves, that seemed like weird menu ...

But now that I've typed it up ... It makes a bit more sense ... Here's what I'm thinking it is ...
Egg plant Parmesan
Pasta with cream sauce AND scallops & shrimp
Spring salad

THAT makes much better sense to me ... F course it's a fire station I could never work at ... You have to wonder about what they do if a fire fighter has an allergy ...

Think about it, that menu has 3 out of 5 top five allergies ... Wheat, dairy, fish/seafood
(the other two are peanuts & soy)

Actually the president is comng under quite a bit of controversy/scrutiny by the 9/11 families because he is only paying attention public ally to the WTC victims ... There have been some very public statements from those who's family members parrished in PA and those who lost members at the Pentagon.

Which is raising cries of Obama using this time only as a photo op and for getting free campaigning for the 2012 election. And I can kind of see their point.

Like I pointed out before that this is the FIRST time since being elected that he is going to WTC plaza ... I have not heard if he has ever gone to the PA site or the memorial at the Pentagon.

They say the Pentagon gets VP Biden and defense sec. Gates ... Huh ... Couldn't take a swing by there before leaving for NY? Imagine that. It could have been a logistics thing, maybe it would just be too much bother to plan a ceremony in both places on the same day ... Oh wait - it's the Pentagon, their day starts at 5am!

These ceremonies are planned for the media ... So yeah, I guess it is a political campaigning thing ... So the real question is - is Obama doing anything any differently than any other president? That I'm not so sure of.

DC Building Hunter

I don't know what else to call this person ... for the 5th time some one has shot at a military instillation in DC  - Forensics is linking the weapon (news said gun, but any one who has seen "Full Metal Jacket" knows better!)  so they are pretty sure that they are looking at a single weapon for all five.

• Marine Museum, Quantico, VA Oct 17th
• Pentagon Oct 18th - into 3rd & 4th floor windows, bullets got lodged in the windows ... 6 shots
• Marine recruiting station
• Marine Museum, Quantico, VA Oct. 29th
• Woodbridge, VA -- Coast Guard Recruiting office - Nov 2nd - at front door

They don't think the shooter is aiming for people - in fact they think whoever it is, is doing their best to avoid hitting people.  But they want them to turn themselves in before someone does get hurt.

Interesting that the bullets got trapped in the glass of the Pentagon windows -- they must be using either bullet-proof glass or its the same stuff they use for ash trays & windows on planes/ships so that they won't shatter in rough seas or fire-fights.

This is the first that I've heard of this story ... I have to find the clip of "this is my weapon & this is my gun" to add on the bottom of this.

Military Parade

to kiss the Congressional butts! (hate to say it, but probably scared after what they saw happen to NASA)

Okay so now the military has joined in on the 'too fat' bandwagon.

27% of the kids 17-24 yrs old (ok not exactly kids) are too fat ...

EXCUSE ME???? If I remember correctly, the military puts a person in shape -- unless the military itself is getting lax-daisy on their calisthenics. I can't imagine that though -- first because I think most marines/army folk could kick a football players butt ... but also, and most importantly, they could kick my butt.

Of course you have to understand a couple of things ....

• (1) DI*s are not supposed to swear or scream at recruits any more
  (2) recruits can take a 'red card*' if they feel stressed
  (3) recruits can get discharged rather easily these days (they have worked out all the ins & outs)
  

But I don't see how school lunches are effecting this ... after all, most kids only get 30mins for lunch total, so maybe 15-20 for actual eating.

I have some interesting photos to share - but they are taken from the television so bear with me please - they aren't the best quality. Click for larger images

KEY
Green = Less Than 39%
Orange = 40 - 49%
Red = More Than 50%

The first is of the reported "Obesity" rate in the timeline of 1996-98

From Ginger Gargoyle's Gems

The second is a map showing the difference in 2006-08:

From Ginger Gargoyle's Gems

While yes this makes it look horrible, what they don't tell you is that there was a movement in 2005 to make doctors MANDATORY recorders/reporters of these numbers. These means that of course the numbers jumped, suddenly they had data from a lot more people.

ALSO - because more clinics/hospitals/schools are on computerized systems there is some question as to whether people have been double, maybe even triple, counted. And lets face it, the government isn't above that to get what it wants.

AND - they changed the boundaries between normal/over-weight/obese. It also does not show UNDERweight people - and there are quite a few.

but considering that kids tend to only eat ONE MEAL a day at school -- I don't understand WHY the school lunches are getting the blame for it. If the majority of children ONLY ate at school, I might be able to see their point -- but this is ridiculous.

Just wait -- the next thing you know ... they are going to outlaw fast food restaurants ... the regular restaurants ...

*definitions:

DI = Drill Instructors ... that's the really scary looking person who couldn't seem to speak with out giving you a free shower - or in some cases a bath since they slobbered more than they spit.

Red Card = recruits in the Air Force are given cards that they can raise to let their DI know when they are feeling like its getting to be too much. (about.com/military)

An Act of Natural Selection

Well this is Natural Selection at its finest ....

A driver of a car smashed thru the gates at Luke Air Force base ... so the MPs on duty took them out - blasted the crap out of the car ... killing one and wounding the other (no word as to which died, passenger or driver, but I would guess driver)

the idiots who thought this was a good idea?

Car theives.

Um, peice of advice to all would-be theives out there ---

unlike the cops -- the military SHOTS FIRST and then asks questions later!!!

The military doesn't send out a psychiatrist to determine whether you are sane and aware of your circumstances before putting a bullet between your eyes ....

And finally --- military men are taught to kill or be killed .... your life ain't shit compared to a soldiers!

I just hope these men don't get dragged thru the mud for what they did --- what they did was their JOB --- after the plane crash on Thursday of last week, their job was to protect the base from all nut-cases who might wish to do them harm.

Slap in veterans faces

Okay so Forest Lake High School was going to have a group of veterans speak to kids at their school --- not to recruit, not to praise the war, not to sway the kids one way or the other -- simply to speak about thier experiences.

So what happens? Parents call saying that it is too political .... why? Because people from OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT threatened to protest the gathering if it took place.

Excuse me?????

So you will deny these kids LEARNING from PRIMARY SOURCES about history because you let outside forces sway you??? How horrible is that??

They protest .... you simply call the cops to have them removed from the school property.

Yes it is too political .... but not from the veterans side --- from the outsider protestors side!!!

These are professional protestors. They have found that there are groups of people who truck in people from places such as Seattle, Los Angeles, Olympia, Salem, etc (yes mosty west coast cities are what I've heard) and just give them a sign.

It has become so wild that cities try to contain them into a certain area or 'parade route' so it doesn't snarl up everyday traffic for those who do NOT want to participate. But for some reason these people who are willing to hide behind the constitution for their rights don't see how their protests interfer with the rights of others.

now they are interrupting STUDENT RIGHTS. If kids in the school had said ... listen you have to allow us to opt out of this if we don't want to go, I could see it ... but there is no way they would have totally cancelled the event.

This is so so sad .... as much as we want our kids to grow up to make their own decisions in life--be independant thinkers, reasoned individuals, responsible adults --- we sure aren't letting them have all the information they need to make informed desicions.

FOXNews.com - Navy Tests High-Powered Electromagnetic Railgun - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News

FOXNews.com - Navy Tests High-Powered Electromagnetic Railgun - Science News Science & Technology Technology News: "Because the railgun uses electricity and not gunpowder to fire projectiles, it eliminates the possibility of explosions on ships." Hey its star wars & Startrek come to life.
Actually if you think of it...it is an electromagnetic--the same kind as you have in your door bell and they use in junk yards. They are not saying how big the magnet is, but one should wonder what would happen if two ships were close to each other and one decides to shoot and the other doesn't...
Magnetism is magnetism--will turning on one trigger the other?
What will the sea life think of it? I heard stories of whales schooling with subs, some even getting 'effectionate' (although I question that one)
will two ships using the magnets start to drift towards each other?
but everyone knows what a magnet can do to a computer....and being that so much of the military systems are computerized....what the heck happens to the systems on the ship????
Imagine if the zap knocked out the guidence system on a ship?

We could have WW3 over a boo-boo!

That should scare the crap out of anyone!