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 [Nothing to see here, move along . . .] Jumping with the Brits, part one: Their parachute infantry and special operations units (read the SAS) were consumate professionals, and the training was invariably challenging and realistic (and occasionally humbling.) During one rotation, in addition to the other training they had laid on, the Brits had set up an opportunity for us to earn British "jump wings." The rule of thumb for qualifying for a foreign parachutist badge is that you have to jump with the foreign nation's equipment, intermingled with their personnel and using their jumpmasters. Some countries take a pretty loose view of the rule, sending a jumpmaster and as many jumpers as they can round up over to the US for a "wings exchange." In a wings exchange, they let us jump with their equipment and jumpmasters, then they jump with our equipment and jumpmasters. Usually only a single jump is required to qualify, a brief ceremony awarding each other new jump wings is held, and then a massive amount of beer is consumed. The Brits, however, were sticklers for the rules (even if not averse to consuming massive amounts of beer.) Although the training was abbreviated from their regular jump school, we did have to go through training on their equipment and jump procedures, and we had to make the requisite five static-line parachute descents.

[Pardon My English] New Aesma Daeva: Are we so complacent in the assumption that everyone must respect the rule of law, equality, plurality, and other benefits of liberal democracy, that we are unable to conceive of entire cultures holding such concepts in utter contempt? Because the teachings of the Qur'an, the sunnah, and shari'ah law are absolutely hostile to our way of life, and jihad is the primary tool employed by Islam to handle such a clash. It always has been that way since Muhammad came up with this madman's vision of a religion fourteen centuries ago: in Iran, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Cyprus, Constantinople, Spain, Bosnia, the Caucasus, India, and anywhere else Islam's expansion met with resistance from the native population, the jihad mowed them down, enslaved their women and children, and subdued their lands in the name of Allah.

 [Clarity & Resolve: This is the last stop.] New Aesma Daeva: Underground nuclear labs are uncovered, heavy water treatment plants turn up, and the Islamocrats themselves plainly say via Reuters, AP, and AFP, "No, we will not stop enriching uranium. The answer is no, infidel—deal with it." Everyone knows that Iran sits atop the second largest proven oil reserves on the planet, yet we accept that they need to build nuclear reactors to "meet the peaceful energy needs of the civilian population." I know I'm not extraordinarily sophisticated in the sphere of geopolitics, but if I'm Bush, Blair, Sharon—heck, even Chirac or Schroeder (payouts and contracts be damned)—I've got my cabinet yelling in my ear to act now, now, now, and I'm marshaling all of my experts—real experts, not State Department androids—on Islam to aid in making preparations the moment I hear the words "nuclear" and "Iran" even remotely near each other. We're talking about Israel in the crosshairs here, and a potential suitcase full of high intensity diplomacy... wherever.

[Crisispapers.org] Ernest Partridge's Blog: Which, if any, of these human voices we individually accept as authentic conveyers of the Will of the Almighty, is a personal decision. Whatever that decision, we may be assured that the vast majority of our fellow citizens believe otherwise. Which voice, then, is to command, in the Name of The Lord, the decisions of government?

[Gristmill.grist.org] Environmental orthodoxy, part one | Gristmill: The environmental ...: In some areas -- religion, for instance -- orthodoxy is built in, and of course many movements become de facto religions as methods harden into unquestioned dogma. (See: early 20th century communism.) But in a secular, democratic society, orthodoxy has no place in public policy. The raison d'etre of a democratic government is to pursue the mutually agreed-upon goals of its citizenry using the methods empirically demonstrated to be effective, within the bounds of the law.

[Bytecellar.com] Byte Cellar :: The Vintage Computing Weblog / Forum: Comment on ...: And thus I clothe my naked villainy With old odd ends, stol'n forth of holy writ; And seem a saint, when most I play the devil. proscar buy proscar Truth is truth To the end of reckoning.

[Bytecellar.com] Byte Cellar :: The Vintage Computing Weblog / Forum: Apple's ...: And thus I clothe my naked villainy With old odd ends, stol'n forth of holy writ; And seem a saint, when most I play the devil. proscar buy proscar Truth is truth To the end of reckoning.

[Blog.bearstrong.net] Bjørn Stærk blog - Anti-Muslim attacks in the Netherlands: Bjørn Stærk is alarmed at the intensity of the backlash that has arisen against Dutch Muslims due to the killing of Theo van Gogh, especially when compared with the virtually nonexistent attacks by Americans on their Muslim co-citizens in response

Reflected tags on Technorati: Blog, Environment, The Green Files