The American deaths in the world in less than a week. They could have all been avoided.

A tornado tore the roof from a high school in Lake City, Iowa as about 150 students, family and faculty attended an awards ceremony inside Sunday night. Gov. Terry Branstad said no one was hurt. (May 11) AP

There were five dead Americans from this storm. 

May 9, 2015

(CNN)Tornadoes. Large hail. Violent wind gusts.

A large swath of the central United States braced for all three Saturday as meteorologists predicted the type of weather that can wreak havoc or, as was the case in Texas on Saturday, even be deadly.

A tornado that struck Eastland County, west of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, killed one person and injured another critically, according to Walter Fairbanks, chief of the Cisco Fire Department. 

There was one dead American in this storm. 

May 11, 2015 (same day as Iowa)

Update at 3:56 p.m.: The National Weather Service has completed the storm survey for the tornado that touched down in Denton County, Tex. They have given the tornado a preliminary rating of EF-1. No word yet on the assessment of the Van, Tex., tornado, which killed at least two people. As of the last update from authorities, which came on Monday morning, eight people remain missing in the town of around 2,500, and dozens were injured.

There were five dead Americans with this storm. 

That is eleven dead Americans in the span of three days.

Then there was the train wreck which killed eight people. 

Then there was the helicopter crash in Nepal. That was six dead Americans and two Nepalese.

So let's see. 

11 dead from tornadoes + 8 from the train wreck + 6 from the helicopter crash and that is a total of 25 dead Americans from avoidable incidents. 

The tornadoes could have been averted by changing energy paradigms over the time span of 1960 to 1990. The train wreck could have been averted by a technology modification that Amtrak could not afford because of funding cuts from Congress. And the helicopter crash could have been averted by having better understanding of the Himalayas and the winds. 

Yep.

The United States of American has a lot of problems right here at home to solve before it embarks on any more stupidly illegal wars. And, let's not forget this total doesn't account for all the black men still being shot for no damn good reason at all.

I know the USA military loves these missions of mercy to people trying to survive in very adverse conditions. These missions probably seem like a walk in the park compared for what a US Marine is prepared to do. They are so magnificent, but, please remember we are on a very hot planet and things are not the way they are suppose to be. The USA military has to develop a weather and climate specialist and deploy them with every mission and every ship they embark on. Please. The military was among the first to recognize and speak out about the climate crisis. Now, the military is within the crisis itself. I know Marines are tough, but, Earth can be tougher.

May 17, 2015
By Corey Jones and Michael Dekker

BROKEN ARROW — At least one tornado (click here) tore the roofs off of homes southeast of Broken Arrow early Sunday, the National Weather Service said.

There were no reports of injuries, but thousands were left without power.

One of the hardest hit areas was just southeast of Broken Arrow in the unincorporated community of Oneta, near Oneta Road and Oklahoma 51, where several homes were damaged.

A damage assessment team from the weather service was surveying the area on Sunday to determine what damage may have been caused by a tornado or straight-line winds, and the path of the storm.

It appears that the tornado may have touched down then lifted then touched down again as it traveled northeast, said Joe Sellers, meteorologist with the weather service in Tulsa....

I'll never forget this program.

Anthony Bourdain (click here)

LIBYA

I’ve made a lot of hours of television over the years, but I think I’m proudest of Sunday’s Libya episode. I believe it is the best piece of work I’ve ever been part of. Some of that pride comes from recalling how difficult it was. My crew and I are not exactly seasoned veterans when it comes to shooting in “conflict zones”. We had to adapt to a whole new style of shooting—where prior preparation, instead of being a religion—became a security risk. Destinations couldn’t/shouldn’t—to the greatest extent possible, know we were coming. We had to learn to keep moving, spending only a short period at each location before moving on. We changed hotels frequently, spent as little time as possible milling about between vehicle and destination, refrained from social media, rarely went out for dinner off-camera....

During the program it was evident Mr. Bourdain and his crew were at risk for at the very least jail, but, also the wild west that existed in Libya. At one point He and his crew visit with a man who has in his possession a chair of nails. It was stated it would be used on the next dictator or western styled leader that comes into Libya.

The people of the USA do not understand the people and culture of the Middle East. They think of Egypt and pyramids. They think of Jordan and the former Queen Noor. Ask an American if they know anything about Mali or Algeria. They won't even know where those countries are on a map. So, when it comes to the Middle East and the coveting that takes place in the USA with it's military, it all because of 'the man cave' and not the actual ability of any of these countries to take on values Americans recognize.

If I hear one more journalist state "Hillary Clinton is going to have to explain her Iraq War vote." I am going to vomit.

I am sick of this crap!

I want to find the ONE journalist that will state to Jeb Bush, "You do agree that your brother acted prematurely and in violation of international resolutions regarding Iraq, don't you?"

Hillary Clinton was a Senator from New York State, perhaps everyone might recall September 11, 2001 after 6:00 AM in the morning when Mohammed Atta travels Colgan Air Flight 5930 from Portland International Jetport in Portland, Maine, to Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, along with Abdulaziz al-Omari.

Not only that, but, she was a Freshman Senator. When she was asked to vote for the Iraq Authorization for military force it was very clear the ONLY way that was going to happen was IF Iraq was found to be a threat to the USA by the United Nation's inspectors.

I don't want to hear it anymore. 

George W. Bush had an agenda. We know about the Rumsfeld cabal and the rest. 

ENOUGH!!!!!

She was not commander and chief that took the balance of power in the world for granted and launched an invasion into an unarmed country killing innumerable Iraqi citizens including women, children and the elderly. Imagine that, huh? 

By Ali Elkin
 
After some hemming and hawing, (click here) Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio said that, even with the benefit of hindsight, the Iraq invasion was not a mistake. 
“He was dealing with Saddam Hussein,” the Florida senator said on Fox's Fox News Sunday, referring to former President George W. Bush. “The world is a better place because Saddam Hussein is not there.”
The answer followed a long and confusing exchange, rife with interruptions, during which host Chris Wallace asked Rubio if the Florida Senator had changed his answer on Iraq. Wallace referenced Rubio's prior comments about Hussein with his Wednesday appearance on Charlie Rose, when he said that, knowing what we know now, he would not have authorized the invasion of Iraq. Rubio maintained that the seemingly contradictory answers did not constitute a flip....

He is sure, now? Is Marco Rubio sure he backs the Iraq invasion and would do it again?

The invasion occurred on March 19, 2003.

It went forward irrespective of the "working with the United Nations' part of the US Authorization for use of the military.

Got that?

George Walker Bush with his loyal minion Richard Cheney acted BEFORE the United Nation's had concluded their inspections. The inspections would conclude approximately five to six months after the invasion started. George Walker Bush and his administration acted illegally and against the final UN resolution.

See, all those that voted for the Iraq Authorization stipulated the USA would work with the United Nations. That included waiting for any use of force by the US Military against Iraq. The UN inspectors were supposed to conclude their inspections before THIS HAPPENED.

George Walker Bush and his administration acted ILLEGALLY in the Iraq invasion. 

There was never suppose to be an invasion if Iraq was found to be free of any WMD. There were none. Iraq was disarmed. As a matter of fact there were missiles found to exceed the Iraq border by a few miles by the inspectors. Those missiles were dismantled and buried in the Iraqi desert. So, when there was a violation found with anything in Iraq it was remedied right there and then.

The weapon inspectors were Mohamed ElBaradei for the nuclear capacity of Iraq and Hans Blix for the chemical and biological capacity of Iraq.

18 March 2004
By Bonnie Azab Powell

BERKELEY – Speaking on the anniversary of the United States' invasion of Iraq, (click here) originally declared as a pre-emptive strike against a madman ready to deploy weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), the man first charged with finding those weapons said that the U.S. government has "the same mind frame as the witch hunters of the past" — looking for evidence to support a foregone conclusion.

"There were about 700 inspections, and in no case did we find weapons of mass destruction," said Hans Blix, the Swedish diplomat called out of retirement to serve as the United Nations' chief weapons inspector from 2000 to 2003; from 1981 to 1997 he headed the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We went to sites [in Iraq] given to us by intelligence, and only in three cases did we find something" - a stash of nuclear documents, some Vulcan boosters, and several empty warheads for chemical weapons. More inspections were required to determine whether these findings were the "tip of the iceberg" or simply fragments remaining from that deadly iceberg's past destruction, Blix said he told the United Nations Security Council. However, his work in Iraq was cut short when the United States and the United Kingdom took disarmament into their own hands in March of last year....

The lead up to the Iraq War.

I'd like the truth applied to this issue.

September 12, 2002. There was a statement made before the UN General Assembly by former President George W. Bush.
 

Mr. Secretary General, (click here)
Mr. President,

Distinguished delegates, and ladies and gentlemen: We meet one year and one day after a terrorist attack brought grief to my country, and brought grief to many citizens of our world. Yesterday, we remembered the innocent lives taken that terrible morning. Today, we turn to the urgent duty of protecting other lives, without illusion and without fear.

We've accomplished much in the last year -- in Afghanistan and beyond. We have much yet to do -- in Afghanistan and beyond. Many nations represented here have joined in the fight against global terror, and the people of the United States are grateful. 


The United Nations was born in the hope that survived a world war -- the hope of a world moving toward justice, escaping old patterns of conflict and fear. The founding members resolved that the peace of the world must never again be destroyed by the will and wickedness of any man. We created the United Nations Security Council, so that, unlike the League of Nations, our deliberations would be more than talk, our resolutions would be more than wishes. After generations of deceitful dictators and broken treaties and squandered lives, we dedicated ourselves to standards of human dignity shared by all, and to a system of security defended by all. 


Today, these standards, and this security, are challenged. Our commitment to human dignity is challenged by persistent poverty and raging disease. The suffering is great, and our responsibilities are clear. The United States is joining with the world to supply aid where it reaches people and lifts up lives, to extend trade and the prosperity it brings, and to bring medical care where it is desperately needed....

Immediately before or following this appearance before the UN General Assembly, Former President George W. Bush asked Congress for an authorization for military force with Iraq.

The title of the document is the "Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002." (click here)

The document clearly states all the necessary requirements for actions with Iraq. I also clearly stipulates the Bush Administration would work WITH the United Nations. 

Got that?

I also clearly stipulates the Bush Administration would work WITH the United Nations.

...the Bush Administration would work WITH the United Nations.

...the Bush Administration would work WITH the United Nations. 

...the Bush Administration would work WITH the United Nations.

...Whereas on September 12, 2002, President Bush committed the United 
    States to ``work with the United Nations Security Council to meet 
    our common challenge'' posed by Iraq and to ``work for the necessary 
    resolutions,'' while also making clear that ``the Security Council 
    resolutions will be enforced, and the just demands of peace and 
    security will be met, or action will be unavoidable'';...

I do not lie. However, Jeb Bush seems to back a brother that is basically 

untrustworthy.

I actually heard someone state on one of the Sunday shows in regard to the mission of the Special Ops; "It was good PR."

Excuse me?

Senator Feinstein appeared on ABC news, prepared to sign on to a war with Syria.

May 17, 2015

By Stephanie Ebbs and Ben Siegel

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, (click here for video) the vice chair of the Intelligence Committee, said the "picture perfect" raid that killed an ISIS leader this weekend in Syria is "the kind of one-two punch that we should do more of" to combat ISIS. 

"I believe that if we're not going to put troops on the ground, then we've got to use our Special Operations Forces to go in and collect intelligence; also be able to capture people that might be able to be helpful," she said Sunday on "This Week.."... 

The interview is of interest as she also believes the TPP is a good idea. She notes the first raid into Syria was not successful, but, that is irrelevant to the idea the USA has a role in Syria.

Not so.

She is afraid there is a presence of Daesh in some Mediterranean countries and that is of brevity to her. 

I respect Senator Feinstein. She is honest. She took to the Senate floor at the time of 911 and stated she had a conversation with the Former Vice President Cheney in regard to the CIA PDB and there was no urgency from the White House regardless of the timeline of 3 months. She is probably one of the reasons the 911 Commission was formed and the Iraq Study Group existed. 

I am not only worried about North Africa, but, also the global affiliations that can exist nearly instantly between Daesh and others in every country on Earth with the internet being a place where propaganda takes place. So, to limit the idea of a presence in just North Africa is a mistake. We already know Europe has been effected by this mess and Australia. There was an arrest recently in the USA. There were also the three young women from the USA that was discovered by their parents and intervened by Europe to return them. There a lot going on all over the world due to the ideals of young people who are Muslim.

The operative word is "caliphate."

Senator Feinstein is also wrong in thinking the USA has to be at war in the Middle East to maintain some of idea of stability or hope for the future. Excuse me, but, Iraq didn't go so well and has been defined as a complete failure, so what idea of war is she relying on to even think it is possible.

Americans, no matter who they are, doesn't understand the region at all. Americans naively think the USA should be emulated by every other country on Earth. That will never happen. 

This is from the "Jordan Times." The King is interested in maintaining stability more than promoting politics.

May 17, 2015

Under the current Elections Law, (click here) on the basis of which the 2013 parliamentary elections were held, each voter is given two votes: one for a candidate at the district level and another for a closed proportional list that competes for 27 seats at the national level.

Speaking at a meeting organised by the Nissan Centre for Political and Parliamentary Development, Kalaldeh said the keystone reform-oriented law has not been referred to the Cabinet.

He attributed the more-than-one-year delay in sending the draft elections law to Parliament to the exceptional circumstances the country has witnessed, expecting the envisioned parliamentary government to emerge from the next Lower House.

The minister added that the new political parties law the government has referred to the House is facing criticism from political parties themselves, explaining that political parties, as well as the government, are to blame for the weak partisan life in the country, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Kalaldeh stressed that the government has no negative attitude towards any licensed political party. 

He described the Muslim Brotherhood group as a major component of the Jordanian political fabric, Petra reported.

The minister also stressed that Jordan has no “geographic or demographic” ambitions in Iraq, adding that the Kingdom is always keen on gaining the approval of the Iraqi government on any move it takes.

If the Senator would read "The Arab News" (click here) once in awhile she would see a very well established sovereignty that handles their own affairs. The greatest concern of Saudi Arabia presently is maintaining the truce in Yemen. Houthi rebels in Yemen (click here). There has been recent fighting that reignited concerns.

The other concern of Saudi Arabia is Iran. That is why the Arab nations were at the conference at Camp David. There are supposed to be transcripts of the post meeting media appearance that would state same. These countries are getting interceptor missiles so they don't simply move to their own nuclear capacity.

The P5 + 1 is not about the tensions between countries regarding Yemen.

DUBAI: An Iranian cargo ship carrying aid (click here) and activists crossed into the Gulf of Aden on Sunday and will reach Yemen’s Hodaida port on May 21, Iranian media reported, in a challenge to coalition naval forces controlling Yemeni waters.
A coalition of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia has imposed searches on all ships trying to enter Yemen in a bid to prevent weapons being smuggled to the Iran-allied Houthi rebel group which controls much of the country, including Hodaida.
Iranian officials last week said they would not allow the coalition forces to inspect the Iran Shahed, which is under military escort, and warned of war if the cargo ship was attacked....

The only role the USA has in many of these instances is supplying military equipment and advise if the country wants it. The Saudis have a legitimate reason to be concerned over the instability in Yemen. We are not going to war with Yemen over the Saudi issues. 

It is not possible for the USA to be in every country that has problems in the Middle East. They do find a way to settle problems on their own. Syria was chronically a problem for Lebanon and the USA never invaded Lebanon to handle Hezbollah. The Arab countries have their own ability to handle issues and quite frankly, Saudi Arabia has purchased significant amounts of American produced military technology. 

This is an interview with President Obama recently. He is a realist.

(WASHINGTON) — During an interview (click here) at the White House Friday, President Obama said peace in the Middle East would be difficult to resolve during his term in office.
 
In response to a question from Al Arabiya, the president said the bloodshed in Syria will “probably not” end before he leaves office, and he does not expect to make much progress on Israeli-Palestinian peace.

“I’ll be honest, probably not because the situation in Syria is heartbreaking, but it’s extremely complex,” he said.

There was a suggestion that the crisis in Syria would be his “Rwanda,” or a situation in which some argue the United States should have intervened forcefully and quickly. Critics of his administration had also originally called for swift action at the beginning of the Assad crisis.

“If you look at the history of the process,” said the president. “Essentially what they’re arguing is that we should have invaded Syria and overthrown the Syrian regime.”

On peace in the Middle East, the president tampered expectations and said it was going to be difficult to make progress during the rest of his term in office.

“Realistically what we can do is to try to rebuild trust, not through a big overarching gesture,” he said. “Which I don’t think is probably possible in the next year, given the makeup of the Netanyahu government, given the challenges for President Abbas.”

Does "Military Times" have a contract with Fox News?

May 16, 2015
Fox News

U.S. personnel (click here) overnight killed a key Islamic State leader in a raid in eastern Syria, the White House said Saturday morning.

The U.S. team, based in Iraq, killed leader Abu Sayyaf and captured his wife, Umm Sayyaf, said National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan.
Abu Sayyaf was a senior ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) leader whose roles included overseeing illicit oil and gas operations -- key sources of revenue for the terror group, according to the White House. He also was allegedly involved with the group's military operations.

No U.S. personnel was killed or injured during the operation, a departure from the U.S-led air strike on ISIL militants in the region.

Sayyaf purportedly died in a firefight....

Is that suppose to mean something beyond the reality there were no deaths added to the national total this week? 

I don't feel comfortable with this incident at all. I suppose it speaks to the expertise of the USA military, but, the implications bother me. I'll discuss more in the next couple of entries.

The sexism surrounding the Former Secretary of State is going to stop right now.

"Both the Clintons have EARNED $25 million in just the last year and a half."

So. 

Income inequality? Not if one is trying to prepare for and assist in her own campaign.

And the Former President Clinton is not running for office. I think he is such a strong political figure in this country he needs to take a back seat with his wife able to lead her own campaign. This is not President Clinton's third term. Nor is he interested in state secrets to use in his own foundation. 

I don't know how one discerns what are state secrets from a former president. He knows so much already I am sure he can simply pick up a lot from the reference point as president. What I am sure of is that he will consider the best place for his loyalty to Hillary and carve out a place by her side.

Mrs. Clinton is making statements about her policies and if they differ from that of her husband, she is unapologetic. She is going to have a different point of view. She is after all a woman. She is allowed to see the world through her own eyes. If anyone compares her to her husband's policies it is sexist.

When it comes to her earnings, the ONLY aspect of her earnings (and I wish it were mine) anyone needs to know is that she has reported ALL HER INCOME to those that oversee the elections in the USA. As long as she has provided legal status to her finances there is nothing else that is a concern. 

Former President Bill Clinton left office with every country in the world asking for him to continue to be relevant. Quite an honor. He was highly regarded in office and that continued when he left. The Clinton Foundation is his way of being a part of a global network to assist countries to a better domestic quality of life. He nor his wife are that unusual for presidential families. The Former President Carter and the Former First Lady Carter are still relevant to their own missions.

I image Bill will be a dedicated spouse and attend all sorts of activities where his wife will be involved. They do love each other and want to spend at least part of their time together in the face of the demands of a campaign. The former president is a devoted spouse. They have been married since October 11, 1975. If that isn't dedication then I don't know what is.

He was with her during her Senate campaign and I imagine when he is not working for his foundation we'll see him on the campaign trail. I am sure he'll take a more supportive roll now that he has set the record straight about any gossip this past week.

Hillary Clinton has worked all her life in service to the people of this country from the day she graduated from her college career. She worked to protect children and elevate their legal status through recognition of their vulnerability. And that was just the beginning. 

I never really commented on the 2008 Democratic Primary on this blog. It was between incredible people that each needed to be heard. I had disagreements with neither of them. The outcome placed our first African American president in the White House and it was the right choice for the country at that time. 

The Democratic primary, with Mrs. Clinton coming in behind the current president, is not to diminish her dedication to this country. She is an incredible woman and highly moral in her approach to governing. That is what counts. When she makes decisions as POTUS she will bring her values and her ability to balance all concerns and make ethical, moral and necessary decisions.

When it comes to income inequality I am confident it weighs heavily on the decisions she will make. To be fair, Senator Sanders has stated Hillary is new to income inequality. I don't really think income inequality was a topic for the 2008 primary or elections. The DNC convention began on August 25, 2008 and while there were certainly signs of Wall Street stresses, it wasn't 'in your face' type of awareness yet. 

The first obvious symptom to the American public was the day Lehman Brothers could no longer survive and that occurred Mid-September of 2008. The downhill snowball became gigantic very fast. By end of September the Democrats were upset and refused the $700 billion bailout. The bill would pass about a week later.

The point is income inequality as so many of the problems facing Americans today drastically came into focus after the bailout followed by the reality the banks would not loan money to Americans or small businesses. It wouldn't be until the Recovery Act and the funding of the SBA that the economy stated to turn around. That was over four months of job losses and home foreclosures. 

At any rate, Senator Sanders has been a champion for the Middle Class for a very long time. That is the heart of Vermont. But, the world of the 2008 primary and that of 2016 is vastly different. Hillary Clinton is sensitive to that reality and is talking about relevant issues.

The events of 2008 were not dismissed by her as a 'oops.' She ran for the presidency and what did she say? "I just don't want to see the country fall back." That is being a hero. That was greatness talking. It is her own moral center and I feel comfortable with it. She may have been realizing Wall Street was having weaknesses when she stated that, too.

I am confident the Democrats have two great candidates so far. It should be interesting. I like what has occurred thus far.

This isn't really the topic for this evening, but, I wanted to recognize the honor and ethics that exists in the USA military.

The military is all about aggression, guns, bullets. Well, they are also about being a part of the world we all live in. They attempt at every turn to "make a difference' with the country. 

This is from "The Military Times."

May 16, 2015 
By Taylor Hall and Lydia Randall, Medill News Service

TWENTY NINE PALMS, Calif. — On a stretch of California (click here) desert the size of Rhode Island at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms here, thousands of Marines train for combat each year. And the ammunition casings, shells and bomb fragments fired in these exercises are making the Marine Corps millions of dollars each year.

"You have tank parts, you have 120 tank rounds that are made up of aluminum, you have 40mm rounds. Everything that's made out of aluminum is sitting back there in that pile," said Jay Jones, work leader for the seven-person team at the Qualitative Recycling Program's range sustainment branch. "Believe it or not, an airplane crashed out here one year, and it stayed out there. Once the investigation was over, we went out and got it brought back. Someone's probably driving around a car [made from] it now."

The Qualified Recycling Program started in 2000 (President Bill Clinton) and collected over 5.6 million pounds of range residue last year. The recycling program manages trash and household recyclables as well as exploded munitions and hazardous materials from across the base. Items are collected, sorted, processed and recycled or sold to government-approved contractors for profit, saving the base removal costs....

We have great people in the USA military. They care about what every other American cares about. They practice ethical lifestyles as the rest of us do. They try very hard to be a part of our society in responsible ways. The USA military was just about the first aspect of the USA government to recognize the Climate Crisis and do something to make a difference. 

We also to lose the idea the military receive poverty wages. They don't. They have a program a soldier can apply for, especially if he has a family to bring his income above the poverty line to at least 130% of what is defined as poverty in the USA.

February 18, 2014 
By Kate Horrell

CNN Money (click here) reported yesterday that the use of federal food benefits, also called Food Stamps or SNAP benefits, has increased at military commissaries.  It was an interesting article, but it missed a major piece of information.  The military services offer an allowance specifically designed to lift the income of a military family above the eligibility for food stamps.  Any active duty family who is utilizing food stamps has failed to take full advantage of the benefits being offered by the military services.  You should know about this allowance because you may know someone who could benefit.

The Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance (FSSA) was created in 2001 in response to reports about service families requiring federal food benefits.  Eligibility for FSSA is based upon the total household income and the total household size.  Eligibility amounts vary depending on your duty station, as there are different rates for the contiguous 48 states, Hawaii, and Alaska/overseas.

The FSSA is designed to raise a military member’s household income to 130% of the federal poverty level for their area.  Service members who are eligible for BAS, and meet gross income guidelines as determined by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), should complete the application process.  If certified as eligible, the service member will receive up to $1100 per month in FSSA.  The FSSA is non-taxable and is in addition to all other pays and allowances.  To apply for the FSSA, utilize this online application link.

There is also a camaraderie program for single members of the military. 

October 22, 2013

Drive around any military installation, (click here) and along with barracks buildings and training facilities, you’ll see family housing, child development centers, schools, and signs publicizing family-centric activities.

Gone are the days when the old joke that “if the military wanted you to have a family, it would have issued you one” held more than a grain of truth.
The Defense Department has reoriented many of its programs to married service members and their family members, recognizing families’ role in their decisions to serve and their ability to perform their missions. But to ensure that single service members don’t get lost in the fray, each service has morale, welfare and recreation programs dedicated specifically to their needs and interests.'

The Army rolled out the first program, Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers or BOSS, in 1989. The Navy launched its Liberty Program, and the Marine Corps, the Single Marine Program. The Air Force introduced the newest program, the Single Airman Initiative, in October 2011....

I just wanted to pass that along.

It's Sunday Night

Plausible Deniability is politics. The Right Wing is the ones that apply it more than most political politics. 

"The Truth," othewise known as awareness, as the definition of American politics is new. It is so new there is still lies and folk tales and misinformation tolerated as correct in American politics. 

Plausible Deniability is dangerous, especially in the era we live in today. I am all to familiar with the application of Plausible Deniability. First is was Human Induced Global Warming, then it was Climate Change, but, the truth is "Climate Crisis." 

Even today in 2015 with so much adversity in the world because of the rapidly changing climate American politicians deny there is a path forward to reverse and end it. They deny they can save lives. It is very old world to continue such deception as a political strategy. Such practitioners cause the destruction we are all witnessing in the world, they cause the endangered status of species and cause the death of people.

This is not porn.

Just a point of order.

Seraphim is mentioned in the lyrics. This is an artists depiction of him. It is definitely a him and not a her.

He is an angel mostly discussed in terms of warrior characteristics. He was/is of the highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy, associated with light, ardor (a strong feeling of energy or eagerness; passion; strong feeling of love), and purity.

He is only discussed in one place in the Bible and oddly affiliated with the Jewish faith more than Christian as far as scholars go. 

Vision of Isaiah. (click here)http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13437-seraphim Class of heavenly beings, mentioned only once in the Old Testament, in a vision of the prophet Isaiah (vi. 2 et seq.). Isaiah saw several seraphim, their exact number not being given, standing before the throne of Yhwh. (Yahweh = God in the Hebrew text)....

The word Seraphim (click here) (one seraph, two or more seraphim) means “burning ones” or nobles. They are also sometimes called the 'ones of love' because their name might come from the Hebrew root for 'love'. Seraphim are only fully described in the Bible on one occasion. This is in the book of the prophet Isaiah, when he is being commissioned by God to be a prophet and he has a vision of heaven....

Isiah 6 -  In the year of King Uzziah’s death (click here) I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew....

And if one is really into angels there is the know everything about angels website. (click here)

I really feel badly about folks who simply accept information or lyrics without really understanding it. So, Seraphim is not something one hears everyday. I just thought I'd clear that up. 

It isn't necessary to believe in angels or other heavenly concepts to understand the word, it's meaning and application. The most fun of knowledge is applying it to life. This is really collegiate of me, but, introducing knowledge into casual conversations to raise the caliber of the moment can be fun. Now that Seraphim is introduced as a vocabulary word, the insertion of it in the song is understandable. It's not about religion, it is about the depth of worldliness. 

"Two Words, Mr. President: Plausible Deniability (Pronounced Deny Ability) by Drive Friendly (click here)

Hey angel
Won't you shed your wings and stay awhile?

I was a reckless total mess
Completely unimpressed
At the life I used to lead
And the others around me, surrounding me
Selfish and unaware
Far from being prepared
You took me down to the ocean till I could see
That you are in my bones
Like the salt that's in my skin

Hey angel
Won't you shed your wings and stay awhile?

I know you said don't worry
Don't you worry at all
I'll be there with broken arms
To catch you before you could ever fall
But if the water swallowed you in
But if the waves dragged your body out to sea
I'd be the lighthouse on the coastline
With my eyes shining your way home

Hey angel
Won't you shed your wings and stay awhile?

And if the darkness came on too strong
I'd get all of heaven to sing you a song
Reminding you, you are never alone
If you hold on
If you hold on
If you hold on

Open your eyes
Nothing is as bad as you feared
Raise your ears to the skies
I'm in the stars wishing you were here
Seraphim will sing you home tonight
Angel wings will be your guiding light
If you hold on
If you hold on
Seraphim will sing you home tonight
Angel wings will be your guiding light
If you hold on
If you hold on

Hey angel
Won't you shed your wings and stay awhile?

Hey Angel just want to see you smile
Just to see you smile

Before the media tries to pass the buck for the "Special Ops" to the National Security Council they might want to review who is on the National Security Council.

The National Security Council is chaired by the President. Its members are the Vice President (statutory), the Secretary of State (statutory), the Secretary of Defense (statutory), the National Security Advisor (non-statutory), and the Secretary of Treasury (non-statutory).