If you didn't see Michael Moore get squashed by the Oelephant (the battle of Pelinor Fields in the Return of the King) at the Oscars tonight you missed something good...
"You Hobbits started a ficticious war!"
SQUASH!
Dunkin Donut stock plumets...
update: 748PM CST - Tim Robbins wins Best Supporting Actor...I'm waiting for the politics...he took the opportunity to talk about abuse and to ask those who are abused to seek help. Nice and classy gesture.
update: 8Pm CST - can't breathe. crying from laughing so hard. Robbin Williams doing a French Mini Mouse smoking a cig and expressing ennui about Freedom Fries. Finding Nemo wins Best Animated Picture.
Okay, gonna stop the blogging the Oscar thing. The Michael Moore squashing just was too SWEET not to blog!
I received an email from the good folks at Soldier's Angels - it's a web site where you can adopt a soldier.
Right now, with the current troop rotation underway, Soldier's Angels has over 500 soldiers that need to be matched up with someone willing to adopt them.
...As both a veteran and anguished opponent of the Vietnam War, Mr. Kerry has spent years working to square the circle of a conflict that divided his generation, and the nation. Now, his old words have come back to haunt his presidential campaign, as conservative backers of President Bush question whether Mr. Kerry is "a proud war hero or angry antiwar protester," as National Review Online recently asked.
The full picture is complex. In 1970 and 1971, Mr. Kerry was among the most prominent spokesmen for Vietnam Veterans Against the War, whose major patrons included the actress Jane Fonda, and which later staged takeovers of public buildings and walkouts from Veterans Administration hospitals. But when Mr. Kerry was involved, contemporaries recount, he often took steps to moderate the group's actions, believing it was better — for it, and him — to work within the political system that he ultimately sought to join. When he organized the mass march on Washington that resulted in his Senate testimony, Ms. Fonda was nowhere to be seen.
<...>
It is an open question whether Mr. Kerry's past will hurt him now, but his words to the Senate remain a special lightning rod, especially because he described soldiers' actions as "not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command."
John Kerry may have experienced anguish in turning his back on his band of brothers. John Kerry may have been anguished by the war.
But I can confidently say that John Kerry did not have the anguish that the POWs had while he was marching and testifying. Funny how the New York Times rallies around him in a Clinton-esque light. Next will be John Kerry biting his lip and pointing at Jane Fonda - "I did not have relations with that woman".
The reporter from the Iranian news service is broadcasting this report of OBL's capture in the Pashtun language - not Farsi. In fact, the story is not being carried in the main media outlets in Iran. It's just being broadcast into Pakistan and Afghanistan.
It's possible the Iranians are trying to help capture OBL and it's their way of stirring the hornets nest. On the other hand...
Here we go, folks. I wonder if John Kerry will abandon all the people of Iraq with his smarter strategy? It would be like what he helped happen in Vietnam. The man has "cut-and-run" written all over him.
LOS ANGELES - Democrat John Kerry, widely assailed by Republican critics, said Friday that President Bush has failed in his response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and faulted the Republican for breaking promises on the economy, education and health care.
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In his speech, Kerry said Iraq is in disarray with U.S. troops bogged down in a deadly guerrilla war with no exit in sight. He said outlying areas of Afghanistan are sliding back into the hands of a resurgent Taliban and emboldened warlords.
The Bush administration, he argued, has shown disdain for the Mideast peace process and allowed Iran and North Korea to continue their quest for nuclear weapons that could get into the hands of terrorists.
"I am convinced that we can prove to the American people that we know how to make them safer and more secure with a stronger, more comprehensive, more effective strategy for winning the war on terror than the Bush administration has ever envisioned," Kerry said.
Bush spokesman Steve Schmidt said Kerry made "a political speech filled with defeatist rhetoric and factual inaccuracies."
"John Kerry ignored the real progress being made on all fronts of the war on terror, and he ignored his own long voting record that would undermine America's ability to fight the war on terror," Schmidt said.
Seriously, though, this speech is going to go against Kerry. I hope he keeps making it...and I wonder what the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan would think of it.
Just the other night Mr. Green and I were having a few beers at Happy Hour, and I remarked, "Damn, Mr. Green, you are one sexy man!" Now, I know why...
Greyhawk at the Mudville Gazette has a story about SSG Wolford who received a Silver Star for his actions almost a year ago in Iraq.
My pal, Ferdie, emailed me this BBC article about French Wine producers protesting a law against advertising alcohol products.
French winemakers take on ad ban
French wine producers are fighting back against a law that restricts alcohol advertising.
The French national beverage, they say, should not be treated like just another alcoholic drink - but as a part of the very fabric of the nation.
"Wine is an important part of our culture," said Xavier Carreau, president of Vin et Societe, which represents wine professionals.
"It can't be lumped together with other alcohol. It's different. It has a certain nobility."
Winemakers, faced with a slump in sales, have held crisis talks with Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin to demand exemption from a law banning all television advertising of alcohol and restricting print advertising.
"We are facing a crisis," said Guillaume Willette of the Burgundy Wine Association. "Wine is part of our culture - and this is a debate about the place of wine in French society."
But the money quote is, of course, buried at the end of the article.
Some winemakers also blame a boycott of French products by Americans angry at France's opposition to the US-led war in Iraq.
I know that I haven't been posting as much as usual and pointing out what I think is the best on the blogosphere. I hope to resume that tomorrow. So in the meantime, please check out the blogroll (plus Doc at Far from Perfect has Someone You Should Know).
I have going through a lot at work. It's good, just a lot to deal with. All at the same time, my department's expanding and I let some key people go that weren't happy working here. So, what little free time I have has been spent building train tracks with my son.
And, with everything at work going on, I also have the sort of "job opportunity" that Smash had a year ago. It may or may not work out. Technically, it's not supposed to be possible, but the organization that I used to work for, being what it is, doesn't really give a flying @#$% about the rules.
This is one of my all-time favorite official Army pictures: A High-Altitude Low-Opening (HALO) Qualified Special Forces soldier runs off the ramp into nothing but air 20,000 feet up.
Tonight, on the Discovery Channel, Halo: Freefall Warriors Parts 1 & 2 (7P CST) will be broadcast. Unfortunately, I have a company dinner to attend and I'll miss it.
It's probably best that I miss it. Watching things like HALO jumping just make me want to do it again. Hell, I get charged up just thinking about it...
In honor of tonight's Discovery Channel broadcast, I am changing the Blackfive photo.
"Grab it before the Pentagon orders it burned..." - Vanity Fair
"...nonpartisan patriotism is the common thread tying together these reflections, love letters and stories of combat. They make for riveting reading." - The Washington Post
Winner of the 2006 Gold Medal for Anthologies - Military Writer's Society of America
"This collection is an excellent introduction to an emerging form of war reporting." - Booklist
"...there is much to tell, and celebrate, in the tough, day-to-day work that our soldiers are doing in one of the most challenging environments any army has ever faced..." - The Philadelphia Inquirer
"...the collection is riveting...a worthy tribute." - The American Prospect
Click here
for more information and list of blogger/authors
Former Paratrooper and Army Officer, "Blackfive" started this blog upon learning of the valorous sacrifice of a friend that was not reported by the journalist whose life he saved. Email: blackfive AT gmail DOT com
Retired Special Operations Master Sergeant, Jim Hanson ("Uncle Jimbo") is now focused on writing about the military, politics, intelligence operations and foreign policy. Email: jimbo AT unclejimbo DOT com
Writer, photographer, and raconteur C. Blake Powers is the Laughing Wolf. He is independent in politics and covers topics including journalism, military, weapons, preparedness, space, science, cooking, food and wine, product and book reviews, and even spirituality. Email: wolf1 AT laughingwolf DOT net Laughing Wolf's Amazon Wish List
Grim -- an Old Norse name that means 'one who wears a mask' -- blogs on issues of intelligence, information operations, and foreign relations. Email: grimbeornr AT yahoo DOT com
Instapinch
Bill Paisley, otherwise known as Pinch, is a 22 year (ongoing) active and
reserve naval aviator. He blogs over at www.instapinch.com on a veritable
cornucopia of various and sundry items and will bring a tactical naval
aviator's perspective to Blackfive. Readers be warned: any comments of or
about the F-14 Tomcat will be reverential and spoken in low, hushed tones.
Email: wpaisley AT comcast DOT net
Mr. Wolf has over 26 years in the Army, Army NG, and USAR. He’s Airborne with 5 years as an NCO, before becoming an officer. Mr. Wolf has had 4 company commands. Signal Corp is his basic branch, and Public Affairs is his functional area. He recently served 22 straight months in Kuwait and Iraq, in Intel, PA, and senior staff of MNF-I. Mr. Wolf is now an IT executive. He is currently working on a book on media and the Iraq war. Functional gearhead.
In Iraq, he received the moniker of Mr. Wolf after the Harvey Kietel character in Pulp Fiction, when "challenges" arose, they called on Mr. Wolf...
Email: TheDOTMrDOTWolfAT gmail DOT com
Deebow is a Staff Sergeant and a Military Police Squad Leader in the Army National Guard. In a previous life, he served in the US Navy. He has over 19 years of experience in both the Maritime and Land Warfare; including deployments to Southwest Asia, Thailand, the South Pacific, South America and Egypt. He has served as a Military Police Team Leader and Protective Services Team Leader and he has served on assignments with the US State Department, US Air Force Security Police, US Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. He recently spent time in Afghanistan working with, training and fighting alongside Afghan Soldiers and is now focused on putting his 4 year Political Science degree to work by writing about foreign policy, military security policy and politics.
McQ has 28 years active and reserve service. Retired. Infantry officer. Airborne and Ranger. Consider my 3 years with the 82nd as the most fun I ever had with my clothes on. Interests include military issues and policy and veteran's affairs.
Email: mcq51 -at - bellsouth -dot- net
Chris Carter is a former USAF firefighter and now civilian firefighter who covers military history, national security, and baseball. Find out more at his website.
Twitter: @CrushingChris EMAIL: crushnik AT yahoo DOT com
Tantor is a former USAF navigator/weapon system officer (WSO) in F-4E Phantoms who served in the US, Asia, and Europe. He is now a curmudgeonly computer geek in Washington, DC, picking the taxpayers pocket. His avocations are current events, aviation, history, and conservative politics.
Twenty-three years of Active and Reserve service in the US Army in SF (18B), Infantry and SOF Signal jobs with operational deployments to Bosnia and Africa. Since retiring he's worked as Senior Defense Analyst on SOF and Irregular Warfare projects and currently ensconced in the emerging world of Cyberspace.
Major Pain --
A Marine who began his blog in Iraq and reflects back on what he learned there and in Afghanistan. To the point opinions, ideas and thoughts on military, political and the media from One Marine’s View. Email: onemarinesview AT yahoo DOT com
Uber Pig was an Infantryman from late 1991 until early 1996, serving with Second Ranger Battalion, I Corps, and then 25th Infantry Division. At the time, the Army discriminated against enlisted soldiers who wanted use the "Green to Gold" program to become officers, so he left to attend Stanford University. There, he became expert in detecting, avoiding, and surviving L-shaped ambushes, before dropping out to be as entrepreneurial as he could be. He is now the founder of a software startup serving the insurance and construction industries, and splits time between Lake Tahoe, Boonville, and San Francisco, CA.
Uber Pig writes for Blackfive a) because he's the proud brother of an enlisted Civil Affairs Reservist who currently serves in Iraq, b) because he looks unkindly on people who make it harder for the military in general, and for his brother in particular, to succeed at their missions and come home in victory, and c) because the Blackfive readers and commenters help keep him sane.
COB6 spent 24 years in the active duty Army that included 5 combat tours with service in the 1st Ranger Battalion and 1st Special Forces Group . COB6 was enlisted (E-7) and took the OCS route to a commission. COB6 retired a few years back as a field grade Infantry officer.
Currently COB6 has a son in the 82nd Airborne that just returned from his third tour and has a newly commissioned daughter in the 4th Infantry Division.
