BlackFive

  I got the present that takes you back to 8 years old seeing the magic when you get through the pretty paper. Overall it was an excellent Christmas for us, but everything came together for Xmas dinner at my parents. First the Packers thankfully did not eke out a win against the Bears, damaging our draft position for next year and helping the dreaded Vikings. We opened any number of fine presents for everyone and then the last one was mine. It was way heavy and I had no clue what it was. I hadn't been especially good this year, so my expectations were low. I sat down and ripped it open, and BAM! I sucked all the air out of the room.

You see I am Calvin, always have been, always will be. And when I saw him and Hobbes on the side of the box, I was every little kid on Xmas. Now a brilliant reward for the too few nice things I did this year and a solid reminder that I start next year owing some good deeds to make up for this. 3 books, 500 pages apiece, fresh commentary from Bill Watterson, and extra artwork too fancy for the comics pages. BLISS! Calvin & Hobbes always gets out loud laughs and I walk away content with my lot in life, but ready for the next great adventure. That is the key, your inner 8 year old knows how to live large, he just needs an adult to pay the freight, indulge him more often and refuse a mundane existence. Now if you'll pardon me I have to go make some snowballs for the fight I picked with the neighbor kids.

Merry Christmas and Happy Second Childhoods

-Uncle J

David Ignatius - Slogging and Blogging Through Iraq:

...The military blogs coming out of Iraq are some of the most interesting reading I've found this holiday season. Soldiers have sent letters home in every war, but this is the first time civilians back home have been able to read over their shoulders...

A few of your favorites are listed (and there's a great quote from Captain B about cereal).  More details at MilBlogging.com.

The Justice Department just sent a letter to the House and Senate Intel Committee chairs, both parties, laying out the legal justifications relied on to implement the surveillance of Al-Qaeda contacts here in the US. I don't lawyer, but I assume the President can hire competent enough shysters to ensure his butt was covered before doing something like this. I want to shift the debate a bit and rephrase things.

Al-Qaeda declared war and attacked us on US and foreign soil, so any and all War Powers inherent, implied or contained in emanations of penumbras of the Constitution have been satisfied and are in full effect, in addition Congress gave the President direct Authorization for the Use of Military Force against Al-Qaeda as situations "render it both necessary and appropriate that the United States exercise its rights to self-defense and to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad")

Al-Qaeda has proven that they can and will infiltrate the US for the purposes of terrorist killings to further their declared jihad. Any activity done to gain knowledge of enemy actions and intentions either in the US or worldwide should rightly be called enemy signal surveillance. This is consistent with the President's role as Commander in Chief in the same way that an Infantry unit listens to enemy frequencies to determine their actions and intentions. Sleepers or contacts in the US represent enemy scouts or collaborators and consequently anything they do is a source of reasonable concern to us. Since the purpose of the surveillance is to interdict attacks or capture bad guys none of the statutes related to law enforcement surveillance apply as the Commander's Constitutional responsibility to safeguard us and fight the enemy during wartime trumps them.

I got this from Patrick/Gryph of Gryphmon, who comments here and attempts to keep me from going around the bend:

I wanted to bring to yours and Matt's attention a group that has formed in response to the Phelps clans picketing of soldiers funerals. I think the motorcycle group has been mentioned before, but they now have a website.  Remember that they only act as a shield between the family of the deceased and Phelps, they are not a counter-protest group. Their website is as follows:

http://www.patriotguard.org/

Sounds beautiful to me, although I can't promise to be as reserved if these repugnant fanatics try their games in my A/O. What is the point of playing on the dark side if you can't use your powers for stuff like this?

Gryph also asks for a little love for a leatherneck friend recovering from surgery after being hurt in combat. I will sacrifice a New york Strip and some aged corn liquor this evening, prayers or other representations gratefully acknowledged. Semper Fi!

Right now the propriety of spying as a tool of our security apparatus is being attacked by people who would truly love to empty the CIA and NSA. They are unwilling to even countenance the possibility that a single innocent person's call from an old buddy in East Goat Rope, Afghanistan may be overheard by a bored-stiff linguist at the NSA.

Cliff May in The Corner

If an al-Qaeda operative in Karachi phones someone in Paris, France and tells him to go to the US to carry out an act of terrorism – obviously the President would have the authority to listen to that conversation without a warrant.

But if an al-Qaeda operative in Karachi phones someone in Paris, Texas and tells him to go to Houston to carry out an act of terrorism -- the President would not have that authority to listen to that conversation without a warrant?

In other words, once a terrorist lands on American soil he must be given additional rights, including an expectation of privacy when he gets a phone call from Osama bin Laden.

That's as concise an explanation as anyone should need. The problem is that those who oppose this vital function do so with the same depth of conviction as pacifists oppose war, any time any place any where. They believe spying is wrong and the idea that a blameless freedom-loving, American could be eye or earballed just because they showed up on a jihadi's speed dial is abhorrent.

It tends to be the same anti-war folks doing most of the caterwauling, although domestic spying does rile up libertarians too. There is a loud element of the left that is vehemently opposed to force of any type used for any reason. I don't begrudge them the sentiment, but it is an unrealistic ideal in a world where far too many don't share it. And they are the ones who act on their inhumane impulses much to the detriment of the meek. This is by far the crappiest planet I have ever lived on, bar none. Evil people exist in every civilization and dominate some to the extreme misfortune of those oppressed. Sadly this requires that any wishing to live free band  together and take measures to ensure their safety.

Beyond an inability to even comprehend the danger, the left is fundamentally against virtually every method of combating it. Flash to the best counter-protest sign ever from Protest Warrior.

Update: To forestall the argument that keeps popping up, I don't believe just because Clinton did it it's OK for Bush to do it (I believe it's just OK period). But if even the pantywaist Clinton admin. thought they had this power then it couldn't be too radical, that and the hypocrisy of those hollering now and silent then chafes a bit. 

I always enjoy when the faux outrage over the latest action of W and his band of miscreants is exposed as the joke it is. The sainted Jamie Gorelick, of 9/11 Commission fame and Intel wall-building infamy, argued the case of the Clinton administration that the President had inherent authority even to search residences in furtherance of foreign intelligence gathering.

I did not have warrantless phone sex

with that woman, Ms. Gorelick

-WJBC

Take a minute with me and reflect. This is the same Jamie Gorelick who implemented a wholesale build up of the wall preventing FBI and CIA from sharing intel. Even she believes that the President, to be able to function, must have this authority and that it stems from the Constitution. It's hard to imagine a more compelling case for surveilling associates of known jihadis, than when W did, right after 9/11. Byron York on NRO

"The Department of Justice believes, and the case law supports, that the president has inherent authority to conduct warrantless physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes," Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on July 14, 1994, "and that the President may, as has been done, delegate this authority to the Attorney General."

First, read or re-read this piece from US Air Force (Captain) Doctor Eadie.  The email from CPT Eadie will hopefully be published by the Marines (hint, hint - I know the Marine PAO reads MilBlogs).

The Marines also provided a follow up about a Marine that died the day that Javier Alvarez died was wounded:

This is another testament to the metal of the young Marines we have serving in our Corps.  Marines who continue to honor those that have gone before us with their bravery and love for their brother Marines.  Where do we find such men?

I personally attended the funeral of one of those fallen warriors of 16 November that the yet unpublished article below mentions.  His name was Corporal Joshua Jared Ware of Apache, Oklahoma.  Corporal Ware was a Kiowa and Comanche warrior who proudly served his Country and protected the freedoms we hold so dear.  He was the 19^th Kiowa to die on the Field of Honor since WWII, and his story will be told by the Kiowa in song when they celebrate their proud history.  I can’t tell you what a powerful experience his memorial and funeral service was.  I also can’t say enough about the patriotism of the fine people of Apache.  I don’t want to take away from the powerful article below with a long story about Corporal Ware and his proud family, but I can’t help but remember him and his story when I read the article below.  I will, however, share the Famlies and the Kiowa Nation’s farewell to Joshua Ware, born 25 May 1985, died on the Field of Honor 16 November 2005:

Today we must lay a young Kiowa Warrior to rest, who proudly gave his life for his family, friends, his people, and all the people of this great Nation.  He stood there fearless, believing in himself and what he was protecting.  He proudly and honorably accepted the path of a warrior, as those who have walked before him.  He gave the greatest gift he could have given to his people, his life.  We are saddened by our loss, yet proud.  Our hearts weep, yet are filled with honor to have known such a great young warrior.  What an honor to be his mother, father, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, grandparent, cousin, nephew, niece, or his friend.  We can see his grandmothers, aunts, cousins lulling in the wind, as the tears fall from their cheeks.  We can hear his grandfathers, uncles, and cousins singing songs of warriors that have gone before him.  Oh Lord, let us pray now for those who he carried deeply in his heart, his family.  Let us surround them with the “Great love” and “Compassion” we Indian people have for each other.  Let us sing high up to the Lord for letting us have this young Warrior as long as we did.  Let us pray that the pain in our hearts will soon be filled with happy memories, and with the understanding in our hearts that we will see him again.  Let us leave this place knowing that he is with the Lord.  Amen.

Please publish on the all hands, and thank you again for your service.  May we never forget the service and sacrifice of the Men and Women of are Armed Forces.

Happy Holidays to your and your Family.

Semper Fidelis,

Scott D. Keller

Chief Warrant Officer 2,
U.S. Marine Corps

Howdy. Subsunk here again. Normally, I'm not a fan of the WWE or World Wrestling Entertainment. But tonight I made an exception. I happened to be flipping through the USA channel after work, and saw the introduction of Mr. McMahon and the National Anthem sung by some beautiful, if scantily clad sweet young thing (apparently a military brat) in Bagram, Afghanistan. Ms. Garcia (I think that was her name) did an outstanding job with that difficult, but heartwarming song, and the troops went wild.

But Vince let all his rhetoric hang out during his opening and the target of his ire was the media in the United States. He was all over how dedicated, noble and superb our Men and Women's contribution to freedom was, and, of course, they ate it up. He was truly laying it on thick and directly chastised the cowardly American press for what they are -- defeatists. And, of course, the troops loved it. There was a helluva lot of pride in their accomplishments, their dedication, and their professionalism being spread about, as there should be. And, of course, there were the scantily clad sweet young things to be seen, as well as the rather beefy gents out there for the fairer sex in our Armed Forces, (as if they weren't already surrounded by Real Men anyway). And, of course, the troops loved it.

So this brings up the $64 million dollar question: Is Wrestling Fake?

Tonight, the answer is: Not as long as they support our Men and Women like that. Bringing good cheer and hope to folks who "the press seems to have forgotten" (thank you, Mr. McMahon), who defend us, bring hope and freedom to millions in the world, even if they don't like us at first, is a task worthy of accomplishment, and destined to succeed. The Afghanis have found that America isn't the Great Satan after all. Their feelings on the subject were covered here:

'Nuff said. Thanks Vince and the WWE for bringing Christmas Cheer to Men and Women who desperately deserve it. And, of course, the troops loved it.

Subsunk

Greyhawk at the Mudville Gazette has a must read letter from the father of a Fallen soldier...

Godspeed, SGT Mike Stokely.

To ensure Matt doesn't take flak for my deranged scribblings this is Uncle Jimbo playin' (pics from publicenemy.com).

Uncle J: Mornin' Jackals, Uncle J fillin' in for Scotty Mac again, that is not a good sign for you.

(loud clanging as security gates crash down on all exits)

You people have officially pissed me off, so we are gonna work through some issues here, three specifically:

Leaking Classified Intelligence
Coercive Interrogation Techniques
Defeatist Reportage on Iraq

James Risen of the NY Times  come on down. You're the first contestant on "Who's my Source?". I know you are all aware that it is illegal to leak classified information, and that doing so can cripple our ability to keep you pampered crybabies safe and warm. But you and the NY Times still felt obligated to aid our enemies and increase the risk terrorists won't be caught. Well since you have collectively abused our trust we will now demonstrate the errors of your ways. But first let me bring out Chuck D founder of pioneering rap group Public Enemy and VRWC propagandist on Air America Radio.

(Chuck D marches in flanked by Professor Griff and a phalanx of meaty brothers in urban camo, polished jump boots and dark shades)

Chuck D: Detail halt! Thanks Uncle J, I appreciate the opportunity to infiltrate deep in the belly of the leftist beast and spew the idiotic drivel you send me. I told Randi Rhodes it was time for another joke about killing the President and the silly bint jumped on it.

Uncle J: Folks I believe Chuck's job at Air America is done, the left is so completely Unhinged, that further rabble rousing would just be piling on. So Chuck has graciously agreed to head up the task force finishing revisions to the Military Interrogation manual which Sen. McCain has determined will be the gold standard for all interrogations conducted by our government. Since the document was under revision when the McCain Bill of Rights for Al-Qaeda was adopted, we have placed a priority on finishing it up to satisfy the Senator's concerns. Mr. D if you would.

Chuck D: Risen get your secret-leakin' punk ass up here now! You heard me punk. Griff, help the man out.

(Griff nods and two of his soldiers stomp down and snatch the quivering reporter from his chair)