The Closing Of The Year...

Too long since posting here. We are now at the end of this tumultuous year at the precipice of another period of intense change and flux. At least there remains hope.

Merry Christmas and Happy New year.

The Biology Files: Huffington Post: Irresponsible mouthpiece for the ...

Science is an art, it is a well defined and precise art, but it is an art nonetheless. Regrettably, some media outlets imagine that they have some unique insight into this complex realm which enables them to post ridiculous statements which not only are false, but bear the risk of harming the public through the spread of misinformation and fear generating myths.

The Biology Files: Huffington Post: Irresponsible mouthpiece for the ...: Huffington Post is notorious for publishing anti-science garbage. But I don't think anything they've vomited into the Webosphere is as egre...

Apologies Not Accepted...

Nothing has been as controversial as the revisionist approach to the only wartime use of nuclear weapons as that by the United States against Japan in World War II. Now, thanks to Wikileaks, we see that President Obama had intended to apologize at Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the very necessary use of these weapons by the United States. It may be fairly argued that the use of these weapons prevented an even greater conflict after the war in which nations may have been equally armed and inclined to use them in a more remote theater of war. Think tactical use by the United States in Korea or Vietnam, deployment to battlefield troops by the Russians in Cuba or even use by the Chinese in Cambodia or Laos.

It is customary for American naval vessels to never dip their flag in salute to any other nation;s vessel, I would have hoped the Commander in Chief had kept this in mind when traveling abroad.

Apologies Not Accepted - Investors.com

UPDATED: Boiron vs Blogzero...

UPDATE 24 AUG 11: Boiron has written a letter in which they state they will not pursue legal action. The wording is interesting in which they claim to be open to debate but leaving the classic argument that science has not reached the realms of the "infinitely small".

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boiron is a multi-billion dollar manufacturer of homeopathic concoctions. They have subjected an Italian blogger for daring the criticize their product Oscillococcinum. This is promoted as a treatment cure for the flu and cold (although in the United States it bears the FDA required disclaimer that it is "not intended to treat or cure any disease"). ANY company which provides a product to the public is subject to critical review by the public and hence the markets.

If our Blogzero friend is saying something untrue, this site's most popular post is related to the efficacy of Sinupret, then by all means he should retract or correct it. If he is making fundamentally true statements, which I believe he is, then Boiron is engaging in cyber-bullying.

This is a free speech issue. Read for yourself and decide!

Boiron vs Blogzero (English page) :B-log(0)

A Child's Tribute to his father...

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bryan Nichols was a Kansas ANG pilot of the downed Chinook CH-47 “EXTORTION 17” which crashed under fire in Afghanistan earlier this month.  His son, 10 year old Braydon, posted his concern that other members of the crew, aside from the USN DEVGRU team, were not recognized.  Officially the names have not been released by DoD, but in the transparent world in which we live – they are all known.  What is most wrenching to me is the haunting picture of Braydon, in a smaller version of his father’s class A uniform next to his beaming dad.  Even at this very young age, he seems to understand the moral imperative under which his father took up service.  He somehow seems to realize that the nature of our nation is, indeed, unique on this planet and that at times we must make sacrifices to sustain that ideal.

 

No one, least of all members of the military, want war to come to their doorsteps.  Each member of our nation’s armed services wrestles with their conflicting commitments to family and the nation they serve.  Each family must also decide whether to support that member or not.  If they can not, then it is impossible for that military member to fulfill their dual oaths to family and country.  Braydon has demonstrated, at the delicate age of 10, this understanding of his father’s commitment.  Braydon has also fulfilled that oath, even having never taken it himself or being asked to do so.  As each member serves, so too do their immediate families.  As we remember the courage, devotion and loyalty of CW2 Nichols, let us also reflect upon the courage of his son.

 

Family Matters Blog: Child's Tribute Stirs Emotion
Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:19:00 -0500

Family Matters Blog: Child's Tribute Stirs Emotion American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 11, 2011 - I was on call last weekend when the news broke about the downed helicopter in eastern Afghanistan. As the morning waned, it soon became clear that the nation had suffered a devastating loss. Thirty U.S. service members and eight Afghans lost their lives in the Aug. 6 Chinook crash.  I was deeply saddened by the loss and for the loved ones left behind. But without a personal connection and with a job to do, I began to think of the fallen as a number to report rather than as individuals with faces and names.  For me, it took a child to humanize this terrible loss. A 10-year-old who lost his father in the crash posted a picture of his dad on CNN's iReport on Aug. 9 to ensure he wouldn't be forgotten. His father was the pilot of the Chinook. The picture shows his dad seated next to a four other soldiers. His father, he wrote, was the farthest to the left. This heartfelt tribute since has gone viral, stirring up emotions across the nation. People have reached out to reassure this boy not only that his father wouldn't be forgotten, but also that he'd be remembered as a hero. I studied this picture and felt for this young boy, who would be growing up without a dad. And I thought about the selflessness and call to service that led his father to make the ultimate sacrifice for his nation. I'm grateful for this child who took the time to honor his father in such a bold way. He reminded me that behind each loss, each tragedy of war, is a person with a rich past who is leaving behind a legacy of heroism and sacrifice.

Related Sites: Family Matters Blog

 

Know your Foe, Taliban Brutalizing Young Children...

Michael Yon, my favorite embedded, freelance author has a sobering report on the level of barbarism being perpetrated by the Taliban against fellow Afghan civilians.  When the population understands the choices between a possibly more free nation with western support or a repressive theocracy under Islam, let’s hope they make the right choice.

 

Subject: Taliban Brutalizing Young Children

 

Greetings,
Incredible horrors are happening here.  In the last few days (just that I know of), one 8-year-old was strangled to death.  It appears that his eyes were gouged out after his father refused to turn over a police vehicle to the enemy.
Yesterday, the battalion I am with (4-4CAV in Zhari District), treated a boy who is about 6-8 years-old after the Taliban apparently forced him to step on a bomb.  It blew off his leg.  I was elsewhere and so was not a direct witness.  Our people treated him then flew the child to Kandahar Airfield with his dad for advanced treatment.  Am told that his family is livid and has turned against the Taliban.
Please see this.
Michael Yon
Zhari District, Kandahar, Afghanistan

NATO, Put up or shut up...

It seems that the West is having second thoughts.  Secretary of Defense Robert Gates delivered a stinging rebuke of NATO participation in the campaign to separate Libya from the clutches of Moammar Qaddaffi.  The problem with much of modern diplomacy and foreign policy is that it subscribes to a school of postmodern relativism.  In short, all cultures and viewpoints are considered to have equal value.  This is an absurd and pollyannish point of view.  The ideals of North Korea, Myanmar or Yemen are decidedly inferior to those of France, Canada or even Argentina.  Part of the failure of the West has been their inability to hold their ideals as non-negotiable when confronting states whose records on human rights, tolerance and freedoms are less than stellar (hello China).

 

Until the West faces the fact that there is no room for theocracies or dictatorships within the body of free nations, it will continue to be plagued with a host of dilemmas regarding how it treats issues such as Syria versus Libya.

 

NATO Members Re-evaluate Contributions to Libya Mission
Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:32:00 -0500

By Donna Miles - American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2011 - NATO members are reviewing their contributions with an eye toward increasing their support to the ongoing mission to protect the Libyan people from Moammar Gadhafi's forces, a NATO spokeswoman said today.

"It is clear that NATO has the resources to keep up the pressure on the Gadhafi regime," Oana Lungescu told reporters via videoconference from Brussels. "We know it takes time. We know that following last week's ministerial meeting, allies and partners are considering how they can best provide the necessary resources to see this mission through."

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is "confident the alliance will do just that," she said.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates joined his fellow defense ministers at last week's ministerial in Brussels to endorse the extension of NATO's Operation Unified Protector mission by 90 days. The extension authorizes NATO to continue operations through the end of September.

Gates also prodded NATO to increase its support for the operation, telling NATO's Security and Defense Agenda assembly the day after the ministerial the mission as it stands reflects lack of both resources and will.

"While every alliance member voted for the Libya mission, less than half have participated, and fewer than a third have been willing to participate in the strike mission," he said. "Frankly, many of those allies sitting on the sidelines do so not because they do not want to participate, but simply because they can't. The military capabilities simply aren't there."

Despite these gaps, Gates recognized that the mission has succeeded in grounding Gadhafi's air force and degrading his regime's ability to kill his own people. "While the operation has exposed some shortcomings caused by underfunding," the secretary said, "it has also showed the potential of NATO, with an operation where Europeans are taking the lead with American support."

NATO Deputy Spokesperson and Royal Air Force Wing Cmdr. Mike Bracken, military spokesman for Operation Unified Protector, reported "considerable dynamic activity across Libya" during the past few days, with frequent skirmishes in pockets of the country between pro-Gadhafi and rebel forces.

NATO is monitoring the constantly evolving situation on the ground closely as it continues its operations, Bracken said today via teleconference from the Combined Joint Task Force Headquarters in Naples, Italy.

Much of NATO's effort is focused on Tripoli, where air strikes continue to degrade Gadhafi's command-and-control nodes and other military targets and ultimately, his forces' ability to coordinate attacks, Bracken reported.

"We know that Tripoli is the lynchpin for the command and control of the Gadhafi regime and his ability to issue orders to fielded forces," he said.

NATO also is targeting ammunition storage bunkers and facilities across Libya to deny Gadhafi forces munitions and reduce the threat of attacks on the civilian population.

"NATO will continue to dismantle the regime's ability to coordinate attacks and direct violence against the country, and reduce pro-Gadhafi forces' freedom to maneuver," Bracken said.

Lungescu expressed optimism at Germany's and the United Arab Emirates' recent decisions to recognize the anti-Gadhafi National Transitional Council established in February as "the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people."

She called the decision "further evidence of the increasing isolation of the Gadhafi regime and that, quite simply, this regime has no future."

Related Sites: NATO Related Articles: Gates: NATO Has Become Two-tiered Alliance

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Intelligence, Operations Team Up for bin Laden Kill...

One more day closer to the end of this conflict.  BZ navy Seal team Six.

Intelligence, Operations Team Up for bin Laden Kill
Mon, 02 May 2011 10:37:00 -0500

Intelligence, Operations Team Up for bin Laden Kill By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 2, 2011 - The plan to attack the compound of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden was the result of relentless intelligence work and operational professionalism, White House officials, speaking on background, said this morning. The operation was the culmination of years of careful and highly advanced intelligence work, officials said, as officers from the CIA, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency worked as a team to analyze and pinpoint the Pakistani compound where bin Laden was killed. Once the intelligence pointed precisely to the compound in Abbottabad –- a town 35 miles north of Pakistan's capital of Islamabad –- the work on the mission began between the intelligence and military communities. "In the end, it was the matchless skill and courage of these Americans that secured this triumph for our country and the world," one official said. A small team conducted the helicopter raid on the compound. An official called it a complex operation, noting that the compound was a virtual fortress -– built in 2006 with high walls, razor wire and other defense features. Its suburban location and proximity to Islamabad complicated the operation, the official said. "The men who executed this mission accepted this risk, practiced to minimize those risks, and understood the importance of the target to the national security of the United States," he said. "This operation was a surgical raid by a small team designed to minimize collateral damage and to pose as little risk as possible to noncombatants on the compound or to Pakistani civilians in the neighborhood." U.S. helicopters delivered the team to the compound, and the team was on the ground for less than 40 minutes, an official said. They did not encounter any local authorities. In addition to bin Laden, three adult males were killed in the raid. "There were several women and children at the compound," the official said. "One woman was killed when she was used as a shield by a male combatant. Two other women were injured." One of the U.S. helicopters was lost at the compound due to mechanical failure. The crew destroyed it on the ground, and the assault force and crew members boarded the remaining aircraft to leave, an official said. "There's also no doubt that the death of Osama bin Laden marks the single greatest victory in the U.S.-led campaign to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida," the official said. "It is a major and essential step in bringing about al-Qaida's eventual destruction." Though the organization's terrorists still are dangerous and al-Qaida may not fragment immediately, an official said, "the loss of bin Laden puts the group on a path of decline that will be difficult to reverse." The United States did not share any intelligence on the raid with any other country, the official said. "We believed it was essential to the security of the operation and our personnel," he said. "In fact, only a very small group of people inside our own government knew of this operation in advance." Shortly after the raid, he added, U.S. officials contacted senior Pakistani leaders and told them about the raid and its results. "Since 9/11, the United States has made it clear to Pakistan that we would pursue bin Laden wherever he might be," the official said. "Pakistan has long understood that we are at war with al-Qaida. The United States had a legal and moral obligation to act on the information it had."

Related Articles: Task Force Assesses Likely Impact of bin Laden's Death Obama Declares 'Justice Has Been Done' U.S. Kills bin Laden in Intelligence-driven Operation

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With friends like these...

The Taliban like to make claims.  They take responsibility for probably more events than they actually have any hand in executing.  Sadly, there is no way to actively disprove these claims, so they go unanswered.  The operations in Afghanistan have continued to evolve to the point where I am sure ISAF forces are now beginning to look over their shoulder at their "partners".  A recent event occurred where a senior, 50 year old Afghan pilot decided to start shooting and killed nine people before being slain.  This event, other news agencies report, stemmed from an argument. 

 

Frankly, my response is WTF?  If one of my Afghan "partners" were to make a move towards their sidearm, I would be drawing, firing and thinking about how fast I could load my next magazine.   

 

Seriously, the anachronistic Taliban and the psychotic Al Qaeda are an anathema to modern society.  Their ridiculous beliefs (and mind you, I find all religious beliefs ridiculous ) are indefensible, contrary to a modern interdependent society and just plain wrong.  The uprisings in Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, Libya, Syria and Tunisia reflect a desire by the population for MORE openness and less oppression - whether from a dictator or an imam.  In Egypt the democratic youth behind much of the uprising are wrestling with the potential risks of alliances with the Muslim Brotherhood. 

 

There are clear lines denoting right and wrong. 

 

The beliefs and actions of these people are clearly wrong.  Why we have not simply retreated to a safe distance and exterminated every single one of them through whatever most efficient means possible - mind you I am just plain pissed off here - is a testament as to how much we value being on the right side of the line.

Shooting Incident in Kabul Leaves 9 Dead
Wed, 27 Apr 2011 11:27:00 -0500

Shooting Incident in Kabul Leaves 9 Dead Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases WASHINGTON, April 27, 2011 - Eight International Security Assistance Force service members and an ISAF civilian died today following a shooting incident in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, military officials reported. ISAF Joint Command officials provided no other details, citing an ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities. In other news from Afghanistan: Coalition forces killed at least 10 armed insurgents during operations yesterday along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan. Troops used artillery fire after receiving reports that a group of armed insurgents planned to attack their patrol. Several insurgents were killed in the engagement, officials said. The same patrol later came under attack by another group of armed insurgents. Troops returned fire, killing several more enemy fighters. An air weapons team providing overwatch security for the patrol launched a third engagement after seeing three more armed insurgents maneuvering into Afghanistan from Pakistan. Two were injured and one was wounded, officials said. In other operations yesterday: -- Afghan and coalition forces in Khost province's Sabari district captured several suspected insurgents, including the senior Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin leader responsible for all operations in the province. -- Security forces detained a Taliban leader and several of his suspected associates allegedly responsible for launching attacks on troops in Kandahar province's Dand district. -- In Helmand province's Sangin district, troops captured three suspected insurgents, including a Taliban weapons trafficker responsible for supplying enemy fighters with money, explosives and munitions. -- Forces detained two suspected insurgents, including a Taliban leader responsible for coordinating and carrying out attacks on security forces in Nangarhar province's Sherzad district. -- Security forces found several weapons and drug stockpiles throughout Afghanistan. The operations resulted in seizure of 1 million Afghan afghanis, which is the equivalent of $23,264, more than 4,000 pounds of marijuana, 2,250 assault-rifle rounds, 90 hand grenades, 60 rocket-propelled grenade boosters, 13 82 mm mortar shells, two automatic machine guns, an assault rifle and antiaircraft ammunitions.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

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Bing West, Critic of Afghan War...

Bing West is one of my favorite military authors, a Marine infantry officer in Vietnam, Assistant Secretary of Defense under Reagan, his book The Strongest Tribe, was a company level view of operations in Iraq with observations made form the front line. Like another of my favorite writers, Michael Yon, West gets in with the troops and pays attention. An exceptional scholar and student of history, his latest work on Afghanistan is sobering.

The United States has arrived essentially victorious over the Taliban in Afghanistan. The challenge remains as to "now what". The United States military is the defacto government, providing security, infrastructure and some stability to a nation which has been little more than a collection of tribal regions.

West argues that there is no end game for Afghanistan and we should stick to hunting down and killing Al Queada and Taliban rather than propping up a corrupt government. Unlike Iraq, Afghanistan had little governement prior to the war and little in the way of institutions. The only reason it constituted a threat was its ability to harbor large groups of terrorist training camps and a permeable border with Pakistan, not to mention its prime position adjacent to Iran.

Bing West, Critic of Afghan War, Takes Issue With Pentagon - NYTimes.com

Like a Rolling Stone, boycotts have impact...

One of my favorite writers is taking Rolling Stone to task over their slanted reporting on the despicable actions of a few soldiers serving in Afghanistan. Do your own research and determine if Michael's case deserves your support in boycotting Rolling Stone's advertisers.

I am personally appalled at the lack of responsibility exercised by Rolling Stone. They have used their outlet to promote a clearly biased and possibly dishonest view of actions by our military. Their reporting resulted in the firing of a competent commander, General Stanley McChrystal and continues to undermine our efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.

Rolling Stone: Boycotting Advertisers

Japan, anatomy of their nuclear reactors...

The reactors at risk in Japan are BWR, boiling water reactors. Reactors in use in the United States, specifically those operated at Plant Hatch in Georgia, are also BWR units. These units are simplified designs that provide dry steam to power electricity generating turbines.

Plant Technical Description

Plant Hatch is a two-unit General Electric Boiling Water Reactor (BWR). Its basic design is known in the industry as a BWR-4. Unit 1 began commercial operation on December 31, 1975 and has a gross electrical output of 924 MWe. Unit 2 began commercial operation on September 5, 1979 and also has a gross electrical output of 924 MWe. These gross electrical outputs represent the new higher outputs after the implementation of the Power Uprate Program. The Power Uprate Program resulted in an Operating License amendment allowing both Hatch units to increase reactor thermal power by about 10%.

Construction began at the plant in 1968. The Architect/Engineer duty was a partnership effort between Bechtel Power Corporation and Southern Company Services. Georgia Power Company was the constructor. Unit 1 was completed at a cost of $414 million, while Unit 2 cost $520 million to finish. The Operating License for Hatch Unit 1 was granted on August 6, 1974. Hatch Unit 2 received its Operating License on June 13, 1978.

The reactors at Plant Hatch boil water using heat produced from the controlled splitting of Uranium atoms in a nuclear chain reaction. The steam produced is used to drive a turbine connected to a generator (there is a separate turbine-generator system for each reactor). The generator converts the rotating energy of the turbine into electrical power for our customers. Once the steam's energy has been extracted in the turbine, it is exhausted to the condenser where it cools and returns to a liquid state. Pumps then return the liquid water to the reactor through a series of feedwater heaters. The feedwater heaters increase the efficiency of the plant by transferring waste heat from certain stages of the turbine back into the system. Raising the temperature of the incoming feedwater improves the overall thermodynamic efficiency of the plant.

Simplified BWR Flowpath

Boiling Water Reactors operate by using the heat generated from fissioning (splitting) Uranium atoms to directly boil water. The steam produced is then dryed to reduce its moisture content and routed directly to a turbine. In contrast, Pressurized Water Reactors operate by using the energy from Uranium atom fissioning to first heat water under high pressure. The high pressure prevents the water from boiling inside the reactor vessel itself. This hot water is then ducted over to a Steam Generator where it is used to boil water in a secondary loop. The steam from this secondary loop is routed to a turbine. Both designs have their advantages. BWRs are simpler designs, but the steam produced does carry small amounts of radioactive gases into the turbine systems. This requires extra shielding around turbine-generator components and also restricts access to these areas during power operation. PWRs are more complex designs, but because of the two-loop system, the steam produced normally contains no radioactive gases and thus the turbine systems don't require additional shielding. PWR turbine-generator systems are also more accessible during power operation. The figure below shows the reactor vessel design for a GE BWR 4.

General Electric BWR 4 Reactor Vessel

Both Hatch units utilize the General Electric Mark I Primary Containment System. In the Mark I design, the reactor is surrounded by a steel drywell encircled by a steel wetwell (torus). This drywell/torus assembly is then encased in a steel-reinforced concrete secondary containment structure known as the Reactor Building. The torus is used as a large heat sink to rapidly condense any steam that may escape into the drywell during large pipe-break accidents.

General Electric Mark I Primary Containment System

The generator, a General Electric 1000 MVA unit, is powered by a General Electric 1800 RPM steam turbine with one High Pressure and two Low Pressure rotors. The reactor steam dome pressure is typically 1031 PSIG and the steam flowrate is approximately 10.9 million lbs/hour at full power. Cooling water for each unit's two condensers is provided by a closed circulating water system with four forced-draft cooling towers. Make-up water is provided from the Altamaha River to replace water volume lost to evaporation and "drift".

Man's best friend...

Farewell faithful comrade, with deeply humble thanks for your service and that of your faithful companion.

Dead soldier Liam Tasker and Army dog return home

L/Cpl Tasker's body will return along with the ashes of his Army dog Theo

Continue reading the main story

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The body of a soldier who died along with his record breaking sniffer dog in Afghanistan last week will be returned home to the UK.

Lance Corporal Liam Tasker, from Kirkcaldy in Fife, was shot dead while on patrol in Helmand province.

The ashes of the 26-year-old's dog Theo will be flown home on the same plane.

L/Cpl Tasker, who was called a "rising star" by Army chiefs, was shot by Taliban snipers and Theo died of a seizure shortly after his master.

The soldier and his 22-month-old dog had made 14 finds in five months while on the frontline.

The pair's successes at uncovering so many explosions and weapons had resulted in their tour of Afghanistan being extended by a month.

Just three weeks ago, springer spaniel Theo was praised as a record breaking Army sniffer dog.

The body of L/Cpl Tasker and the ashes of Theo will be flown to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire at lunchtime, before a cortege passes through Wootton Bassett, the Wiltshire town which has built up a tradition of welcoming back fallen heroes.

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• Shot British soldier named by MoD 02 MARCH 2011, UK

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