Taliban Publicly Executes Woman For Adultry

Taliban Publicly Executes Woman For Adultry

The Oil Well has Stopped Leaking

Okay, so there are still millions of gallons of oil in the Gulf, and the well could start leaking again at any moment.  Even still, it’s exciting that the oil leak has stopped for first time since the April 20 blowout.  The incident is far from over.  If the pressure in the well rises too much, BP will remove the cap and allow the oil to flow freely again.  The only way to truly stop the leak is the relief well BP is building that should be complete in August.

What “Fewer than 500” Al-Qaeda Members Really Means

In the news recently, several intelligence officials and military officers claim there are fewer than 500 Al-Qaeda members left in the world.  While this may be true, it is not an accurate depiction of how much power the group really has.  After all, Al-Qaeda has never had many members, they gain power by networking with other terrorist organizations which provide the manpower.

Read the report here:

Counting Al-Qaeda Members Is Not Enough – By Brian Fishman | The AfPak Channel.

Comedian Lewis Black on Glenn Beck and Nazis

Here’s a  little comedic relief to get the blog going again.  After a nasty computer virus and a million other computer issues, I am back up and running.

Amazing Pictures of Afghanistan Before the Soviets Invaded

Its hard to believe these pictures are of Afghanistan, they look like they could easily be from the U.S.  These pictures were taken in the 1950s and 1960s, illustrating daily life in Kabul.  Once you get over the initial shock of the images, the cultural shock remains.  Women attended Kabul University and walking around by themselves.  Although we often think of them as a country that never left the middle ages, they truly were once a thriving country.  It goes to show that any country, torn by war for so long, can slip backwards into the most primitive state.

BP Coffee Spill

No words are needed.

Mayor Calls Gay Soldiers “Lacy-Drawered, Limp-Wristed”

Yuma, AZ Mayor Al Krieger spoke out against allowing homosexuals serve in the military during his Memorial Day speech a few weeks ago.  “I cannot believe that a bunch of lacy-drawered, limp-wristed people could do what those men have done in the past,” he said.  Mayor Krieger added to that statement in a follow-on interview, “we need solid, strong men, not pacifists, to fight those battles.”  Mayor Krieger is unapologetic; saying, “I’m reluctant to compare myself to George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, but I did get some feedback, and I don’t think I said anything different than what they would have said.”  The speech was not a prepared speech he said, but one from the heart.  Watch the video here.

Banning Plastic Bags in California

The California Assembly passed a bill today banning the use of one-time-use plastic bags in the state.  The state Senate will vote on the measure by August, and if it passes Governor Schwarzenegger says he will sign it into law.

Several countries have similar bans or taxes, including Ireland, Bangladesh, and China.  Washington D.C. imposed a 5 cent fee on bags last year and several local communities across the country have banned or taxed bags as well.  California would be the first state to ban the bags.

Candidate Wins Primary Without Money, Staff, or Speeches

In South Carolina’s Democratic Senate primary, state legislator Vic Rawl was a sure bet to win.  Mr. Rawl has been in office for four terms, and nobody in the media had ever heard of anyone else on the ballot.  Alvin Greene was one of those “unheard ofs” on the ballot, and he won.  Mr. Greene paid his $10,400 fee to register as a candidate, and says his total campaign, including that fee, cost less than $12,000.  Greene served in the Air Force and the Army, and has been unemployed for the last 9 months (how he paid for his registration fee I have no idea).  He is running on a platform of unemployment, justice, and education, which you can read more about in his very interesting interview.

Greene says his friends (and friend’s friends) are his “staff”, but he has nobody on a payroll.  While he has never printed signs or made a speech, he claims he has walked around and talked to the people of South Carolina over the last few months.

The Democratic Party is asking him to step-down from his candidacy as reports surfaced that he is currently being charged for showing pornography to a female college student.  Despite this (and the fact that his opponent this fall is Senator Jim DeMint), Mr. Greene is pressing forward and trying to raise funds for the battle ahead.  Some Democrats are even speculating that he is a Republican plant, and that somebody had to give him the 10,400 to register as a candidate.

UPDATE: It turns out Mr. Greene was kicked out of the Army 9 months ago.  “I was honorably discharged from the Army, but it was involuntary…Things weren’t working. Same thing happened in the Air Force. . . . It’s a long story in both services,”  he said.  I will let you know if I can find out why.  Here is what we do know about his record according to the Army:

He was discharged in August 2009 after being promoted to specialist.  He served three years as a supply technician, including a tour in South Korea from June 2007 to July 2008. He last served with the 1^st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan.  Greene’s records also show he served in the South Carolina Air National Guard from July 1995 to June 2002, and in the South Carolina Army National Guard from July 2006 to February 2007.  He was an intelligence specialist when he was in the Air Force National Guard, and a supply specialist while he was in the Army.

Bodies Misidentified at Arlington Cemetery

Breaking news this afternoon.  So disappointing that we can’t even get this right. The least we could do is properly identify all of our Soldiers.  I’m glad the two civilians in charge were fired.  Stay tuned for more news as it comes.