14 April 2010 Halt! Who goes there?
I’ve become used to using the time between scoring a parking spot and the start time of my first class for tracking down Holocaust information sites. I’ve been using the ETSU network as a portal for internet access while on campus.
Today, I was presented with inability to log into the network. I was prompted to change my password, as the one I was using had timed out in the campus network. I generally have no problem with such things. I entered a new password, confirmed it, and was promptly refused access. Backing out and attempting another password exchange did absolutely no good. I’m now required to contact a network administrator to resolve the problem generated by the network’s failure to recognize my laptop. That means a trip up to the student center to wait in line at a help window so that someone 1/3rd my age can visit the inner workings of my computer and re-introduce it to the network.
One of the students in the Holocaust class asked me if I liked the class. She got more response than she anticipated. She happens to be one of the women who have routinely spent the periods when portions of Shoah were being shown in play on Face Book. I pulled no punches. I told her I thought that such behavior showed a degree of disconnection from the Holocaust that made me very uncomfortable. I told her that I had expected and hoped for more interaction from the students, more involvement with the course material. And I expressed concern for increasing anti-Semitism in the U.S. I wonder how long it will take for that to make the rounds of her half of the room.
Yes, the classroom is sort of divided now. I sit in the back seat of the middle row. To my right sit the fraternity and sorority students and most of the thinner students in the room. To my left, apparently the off campus students, with two exceptions, mostly obese, markedly heavier than me. Forward of me, in my row, an older male – retired, I believe – and an adult student from China.
I did hike up to the student center to have my laptop brought back into the fold. I was told that I should have changed the password in the D2L area of the network. Of course, it was impossible to reach that area until the new password was recognized. The young man at the help window reset the password from somewhere within the network. This may be an every three months annoyance.
Particularly frustrating, the report that I saw this morning indicating frequent password changes to be non-productive and cost-ineffective. While I want a tightly secured network, I want password control routines to be workable before they are implemented.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
13 April 2010 The genie refuses to return to the bottle.
13 April 2010 The genie refuses to return to the bottle.
By Jonathan Capehart
April 12, 2010; 6:00 AM ET
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/04/a_nuclear_sword_of_damocles.html
“'nuclear sword of Damocles'
"Every man, woman and child lives under a nuclear sword of Damocles, hanging by the slenderest of threads, capable of being cut at any moment by accident, or miscalculation, or by madness. The weapons of war must be abolished before they abolish us." --President John F. Kennedy
Lawrence Bender, the Academy Award-winning producer of "An Inconvenient Truth," uses Kennedy's words at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 25, 1961 as the foundation of his new anti-nuclear proliferation documentary "Countdown to Zero." The film doesn't hit theaters nationwide until July 9, but I was able to catch a screening of it last week. My hope is that "Countdown to Zero" will do for nuclear proliferation what "An Inconvenient Truth" did for climate change. Americans, particularly those born after the fall of the Berlin Wall, need to understand how close we've come to and how close we remain to nuclear annihilation.
After seeing the film, I pray that the New START treaty between the United States and Russia gets ratified by the Senate and that the nuclear security summit that kicks off today in Washington leads to meaningful measures to keep materials for weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of terrorists. In a post-9/11 world, where enemies of the West are actively trying to acquire them, that sword of Damocles is closer to our necks than we want to admit.
"Countdown to Zero" employs Kennedy's "accident," "miscalculation" and "madness" formulation to look at the three separate yet interlocking dangers posed by nuclear weapons. One potential "accident" occurred in August 2007 when a B-52 bomber flew from North Dakota to Louisiana with six warheads on its wing that apparently no one, including the pilots, knew were there.
A frightening potential "miscalculation" happened in 1995 when a U.S.-Norwegian research rocket was detected by Russian early-warning radars and had then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin handling his nation's nuclear football for the first time. Former CIA officer Peter Pry, who wrote about this incident in "War Scare," called it "the single most dangerous moment of the nuclear missile age."
And the film is replete with details on how vulnerable we are to a devastating attack by those hellbent on "madness." What's saved us thus far has been their inability to create or get their hands on highly enriched uranium needed to make a nuclear bomb. But former CIA operations officer Rolff Mowatt-Larssen delivers this bit of disquieting news in the film. "All the black market seizures that I'm aware of were caught by luck," he said.
Let's hope our luck doesn't run out.”
Those of us who are old enough recall Disney’s “Our Friend, the Atom,” as a promise of endless power to run the homes and industries of America. Those who haven’t seen the feature should watch it. Those of us who recall it at all should also.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcdRQkJulAU
Disney was instrumental in trying to convince the public that nuclear power was useful for something besides bomb construction. The analogy they chose, genie in a bottle, was appropriate if overly simplified. The narrating scientist in this segment was apparently one of “our Germans” with a mild accent. Nuclear power for commercial purposes did get a boost from Disney. It is still a viable source for commercial power but must be strongly secured against any attacks and monitored constantly for theft or loss of fissile materials.
Disney also dealt, a bit, with the concept of a “chain reaction”, the process that provides constant and controlled fission in a sustained manner to provide heat for conversion to power. That same process, uncontrolled in a fissile mass of sufficient quantity becomes incredibly dangerous, resulting in a melt down or an explosion.
We should also watch what happens without controls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMWOfbcAbgo
Breeder reactors provide more fissile material for civilian or military use. Enrichment processes increase the ratio of fissile to non-fissile isotopes and are necessary to create weapons-grade isotopes.
The danger from nuclear weapons now does not lie in the militaries of Cold War enemies but in their storage facilities and in the intentions of rogue nations and terrorist groups. The stock pile of fissile material held by Ukraine is now to be removed from Ukraine. Canada and Mexico have also agreed to rid their nations of weapons grade isotopes.
There is every need for all the industrialized nations to work together to prevent the acquisition of such weapons by Iran, which funds terrorism, and which wants the international prestige that possession of nuclear weapons would convey in their region of the world.. There is also need to prevent black market sales of bombs or fissile material to terrorist groups, particularly Islamic fundamentalists. Pakistan is a potential conduit for such transfers to terrorists and is only on coup away from having a fundamentalist Islamic government in place. North Korea is so in need of currency that they will sell anything they can. The former Soviet republics are also potential black market routes for weapons.
The problem we face today is two-fold. We must convince other nations to cooperate with us in limiting the spread of nuclear weapons and in preventing their use by other states or by terrorist groups. This will require international cooperation at a level the U.S. has previously been unwilling to practice. And there is the second part of our problem. The GOP is likely to attempt to prevent the ratification of the newest U.S. /Russia nuclear weapons reduction treaty. They will doubtless claim it weakens our defenses and is “socialistic, communistic,” and “Un-American.” They will be less concerned with anything that actually might reduce the risk of terrorists obtaining and using nuclear weapons against us than they will be in trying to prevent anything being accomplished by the Obama administration. In plain words, the GOP would rather see a nuclear weapon used against this nation than to see the U.S. participate in a nuclear weapons reduction treaty and program. Think I’m wrong, watch the vote for ratification of the new START treaty. Believe me, I hope I am wrong.
By Jonathan Capehart
April 12, 2010; 6:00 AM ET
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/04/a_nuclear_sword_of_damocles.html
“'nuclear sword of Damocles'
"Every man, woman and child lives under a nuclear sword of Damocles, hanging by the slenderest of threads, capable of being cut at any moment by accident, or miscalculation, or by madness. The weapons of war must be abolished before they abolish us." --President John F. Kennedy
Lawrence Bender, the Academy Award-winning producer of "An Inconvenient Truth," uses Kennedy's words at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 25, 1961 as the foundation of his new anti-nuclear proliferation documentary "Countdown to Zero." The film doesn't hit theaters nationwide until July 9, but I was able to catch a screening of it last week. My hope is that "Countdown to Zero" will do for nuclear proliferation what "An Inconvenient Truth" did for climate change. Americans, particularly those born after the fall of the Berlin Wall, need to understand how close we've come to and how close we remain to nuclear annihilation.
After seeing the film, I pray that the New START treaty between the United States and Russia gets ratified by the Senate and that the nuclear security summit that kicks off today in Washington leads to meaningful measures to keep materials for weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of terrorists. In a post-9/11 world, where enemies of the West are actively trying to acquire them, that sword of Damocles is closer to our necks than we want to admit.
"Countdown to Zero" employs Kennedy's "accident," "miscalculation" and "madness" formulation to look at the three separate yet interlocking dangers posed by nuclear weapons. One potential "accident" occurred in August 2007 when a B-52 bomber flew from North Dakota to Louisiana with six warheads on its wing that apparently no one, including the pilots, knew were there.
A frightening potential "miscalculation" happened in 1995 when a U.S.-Norwegian research rocket was detected by Russian early-warning radars and had then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin handling his nation's nuclear football for the first time. Former CIA officer Peter Pry, who wrote about this incident in "War Scare," called it "the single most dangerous moment of the nuclear missile age."
And the film is replete with details on how vulnerable we are to a devastating attack by those hellbent on "madness." What's saved us thus far has been their inability to create or get their hands on highly enriched uranium needed to make a nuclear bomb. But former CIA operations officer Rolff Mowatt-Larssen delivers this bit of disquieting news in the film. "All the black market seizures that I'm aware of were caught by luck," he said.
Let's hope our luck doesn't run out.”
Those of us who are old enough recall Disney’s “Our Friend, the Atom,” as a promise of endless power to run the homes and industries of America. Those who haven’t seen the feature should watch it. Those of us who recall it at all should also.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcdRQkJulAU
Disney was instrumental in trying to convince the public that nuclear power was useful for something besides bomb construction. The analogy they chose, genie in a bottle, was appropriate if overly simplified. The narrating scientist in this segment was apparently one of “our Germans” with a mild accent. Nuclear power for commercial purposes did get a boost from Disney. It is still a viable source for commercial power but must be strongly secured against any attacks and monitored constantly for theft or loss of fissile materials.
Disney also dealt, a bit, with the concept of a “chain reaction”, the process that provides constant and controlled fission in a sustained manner to provide heat for conversion to power. That same process, uncontrolled in a fissile mass of sufficient quantity becomes incredibly dangerous, resulting in a melt down or an explosion.
We should also watch what happens without controls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMWOfbcAbgo
Breeder reactors provide more fissile material for civilian or military use. Enrichment processes increase the ratio of fissile to non-fissile isotopes and are necessary to create weapons-grade isotopes.
The danger from nuclear weapons now does not lie in the militaries of Cold War enemies but in their storage facilities and in the intentions of rogue nations and terrorist groups. The stock pile of fissile material held by Ukraine is now to be removed from Ukraine. Canada and Mexico have also agreed to rid their nations of weapons grade isotopes.
There is every need for all the industrialized nations to work together to prevent the acquisition of such weapons by Iran, which funds terrorism, and which wants the international prestige that possession of nuclear weapons would convey in their region of the world.. There is also need to prevent black market sales of bombs or fissile material to terrorist groups, particularly Islamic fundamentalists. Pakistan is a potential conduit for such transfers to terrorists and is only on coup away from having a fundamentalist Islamic government in place. North Korea is so in need of currency that they will sell anything they can. The former Soviet republics are also potential black market routes for weapons.
The problem we face today is two-fold. We must convince other nations to cooperate with us in limiting the spread of nuclear weapons and in preventing their use by other states or by terrorist groups. This will require international cooperation at a level the U.S. has previously been unwilling to practice. And there is the second part of our problem. The GOP is likely to attempt to prevent the ratification of the newest U.S. /Russia nuclear weapons reduction treaty. They will doubtless claim it weakens our defenses and is “socialistic, communistic,” and “Un-American.” They will be less concerned with anything that actually might reduce the risk of terrorists obtaining and using nuclear weapons against us than they will be in trying to prevent anything being accomplished by the Obama administration. In plain words, the GOP would rather see a nuclear weapon used against this nation than to see the U.S. participate in a nuclear weapons reduction treaty and program. Think I’m wrong, watch the vote for ratification of the new START treaty. Believe me, I hope I am wrong.
Monday, April 12, 2010
12 April 2010 How many bishops can dance on a child abuse law?
12 April 2010 How many bishops can dance on a child abuse law?
http://us.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/11/connecticut.abuse.bill/index.html?hpt=T2
Connecticut bishops fight sex abuse bill
From Jamie Guzzardo, CNN
April 11, 2010 10:30 p.m. EDT
The proposed change would put "all Church institutions ... at risk," a letter from Connecticut's Catholic bishops says.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Bishops: Bill would allow old cases with lost evidence, faded memories
Connecticut's Catholic bishops ask parishioners to oppose bill
Bill would rescind statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases
Older claimants would need to show substantial proof that they were abused
Hartford, Connecticut (CNN) -- A bill in Connecticut's legislature that would remove the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases has sparked a fervent response from the state's Roman Catholic bishops, who released a letter to parishioners Saturday imploring them to oppose the measure…
This is yet another in the continuing attempts by Roman Catholic Bishops to interfere in matters of civil law and politics in the nation and in its various states and territories.
Currently, the Roman Catholic church and its council of bishops has come out in favor or sanctuary for illegal immigrants, against health care reform, and has repeatedly tried to delay and prevent legal action against those priests who stand accused of child abuse. All of these actions take place under the auspices of an organization that claims tax-exempt status as a religious organization under existing U.S. tax laws and campaign laws. The Roman Catholic Church in the United States has a fortune in real estate holdings. Some of these date back to before the Revolutionary war.
I am opposed to tax-exempt status for any religious organization, local or national, that has real estate. I am vehemently opposed to tax-exempt status for any religious organization that interferes, or tries to interfere, in matters of local, state, or national politics; in matters of civil or criminal law; or in any matters of personal choice regarding public education, health care, etc.
The council of bishops has recently made an attempt to meddle in the national political battle centered around health care reform. They object to the potential public funding of abortion. They are, collectively, trying to impose Roman Catholic dogma on the entire population of the United States. This is in direct violation of the 1st Amendment’s prohibition of any state sponsored religion. They have no problem sheltering under the same amendment’s guarantee of freedom to worship as one chooses in this nation, but wish to deny it to everyone else by slipping in de facto recognition of a national religion.
The same council is repeatedly guilty of harboring illegal aliens in violation of immigration laws. The vast majority of these illegals are Latino in origin and are practicing Roman Catholics. Again, this is an attempt to create a de facto national religion by flooding the nation with more and more Roman Catholics with the intent of using this sub-populace when they are granted some form of amnesty. The same bishops are currently supporting illegal immigrants and Latino activists who demand open borders with Mexico and uncontrolled immigration along with access to publically funded education, health care, housing, and other benefits that rightfully should not be provided to non-citizens, and which particularly should not be available to illegal aliens.
As centuries of Roman Catholic priests and bishops have historically having made multiple oligarchies of Latin America to the benefit of the Vatican, the council of bishops here wishes to pursue a course of action that will eventually lead to similar third world status for the U.S. due to over population and other factors stressing social safety nets and our economy.
There is a long history of child abuse committed by priests subsequently being covered up by the church’s hierarchy. Priest know to be guilty of such crimes have been protected from prosecution by various means. They have been relieved of duty and then sent to other parishes, often committing the same crimes in their new parish. They have been protected from investigation and thus from any penalty under cannon law. The church has acted to avoid any civil or criminal investigation, trial, and penalty by persuading civil authorities that such charges were false. In short, they have used and misused cannon law to subvert civil law in this nation and in many others.
The truly hateful thing about this attempt to interfere in Connecticut’s legal code is resident in the history of the Roman Catholic Church declaring itself the source of ethics and judge of morality and behavior on the part of its members. It also tries whenever possible to enforce those same moralities upon non-Catholics. Yet the inner church is all too willing to allow complete abeyance of the very moral codes it claims to author and honor in protecting its priests who abuse its most helpless members.
There is no council of bishops with any moral or legal authority to call for the defeat of a law that might lengthen their church’s exposure to legal penalties or civil penalties as a result of clerical child abuse. Every parishioner receiving a request to oppose the bill should demand a public apology from all bishops involved. How long will it be before the Roman Catholic Church is selling indulgences again? How long until the high church hierarchy is secretly married?
How long will we tolerate religious leaders of any faith demanding Americans follow a public morality that they are unable and unwilling to follow?
http://us.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/11/connecticut.abuse.bill/index.html?hpt=T2
Connecticut bishops fight sex abuse bill
From Jamie Guzzardo, CNN
April 11, 2010 10:30 p.m. EDT
The proposed change would put "all Church institutions ... at risk," a letter from Connecticut's Catholic bishops says.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Bishops: Bill would allow old cases with lost evidence, faded memories
Connecticut's Catholic bishops ask parishioners to oppose bill
Bill would rescind statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases
Older claimants would need to show substantial proof that they were abused
Hartford, Connecticut (CNN) -- A bill in Connecticut's legislature that would remove the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases has sparked a fervent response from the state's Roman Catholic bishops, who released a letter to parishioners Saturday imploring them to oppose the measure…
This is yet another in the continuing attempts by Roman Catholic Bishops to interfere in matters of civil law and politics in the nation and in its various states and territories.
Currently, the Roman Catholic church and its council of bishops has come out in favor or sanctuary for illegal immigrants, against health care reform, and has repeatedly tried to delay and prevent legal action against those priests who stand accused of child abuse. All of these actions take place under the auspices of an organization that claims tax-exempt status as a religious organization under existing U.S. tax laws and campaign laws. The Roman Catholic Church in the United States has a fortune in real estate holdings. Some of these date back to before the Revolutionary war.
I am opposed to tax-exempt status for any religious organization, local or national, that has real estate. I am vehemently opposed to tax-exempt status for any religious organization that interferes, or tries to interfere, in matters of local, state, or national politics; in matters of civil or criminal law; or in any matters of personal choice regarding public education, health care, etc.
The council of bishops has recently made an attempt to meddle in the national political battle centered around health care reform. They object to the potential public funding of abortion. They are, collectively, trying to impose Roman Catholic dogma on the entire population of the United States. This is in direct violation of the 1st Amendment’s prohibition of any state sponsored religion. They have no problem sheltering under the same amendment’s guarantee of freedom to worship as one chooses in this nation, but wish to deny it to everyone else by slipping in de facto recognition of a national religion.
The same council is repeatedly guilty of harboring illegal aliens in violation of immigration laws. The vast majority of these illegals are Latino in origin and are practicing Roman Catholics. Again, this is an attempt to create a de facto national religion by flooding the nation with more and more Roman Catholics with the intent of using this sub-populace when they are granted some form of amnesty. The same bishops are currently supporting illegal immigrants and Latino activists who demand open borders with Mexico and uncontrolled immigration along with access to publically funded education, health care, housing, and other benefits that rightfully should not be provided to non-citizens, and which particularly should not be available to illegal aliens.
As centuries of Roman Catholic priests and bishops have historically having made multiple oligarchies of Latin America to the benefit of the Vatican, the council of bishops here wishes to pursue a course of action that will eventually lead to similar third world status for the U.S. due to over population and other factors stressing social safety nets and our economy.
There is a long history of child abuse committed by priests subsequently being covered up by the church’s hierarchy. Priest know to be guilty of such crimes have been protected from prosecution by various means. They have been relieved of duty and then sent to other parishes, often committing the same crimes in their new parish. They have been protected from investigation and thus from any penalty under cannon law. The church has acted to avoid any civil or criminal investigation, trial, and penalty by persuading civil authorities that such charges were false. In short, they have used and misused cannon law to subvert civil law in this nation and in many others.
The truly hateful thing about this attempt to interfere in Connecticut’s legal code is resident in the history of the Roman Catholic Church declaring itself the source of ethics and judge of morality and behavior on the part of its members. It also tries whenever possible to enforce those same moralities upon non-Catholics. Yet the inner church is all too willing to allow complete abeyance of the very moral codes it claims to author and honor in protecting its priests who abuse its most helpless members.
There is no council of bishops with any moral or legal authority to call for the defeat of a law that might lengthen their church’s exposure to legal penalties or civil penalties as a result of clerical child abuse. Every parishioner receiving a request to oppose the bill should demand a public apology from all bishops involved. How long will it be before the Roman Catholic Church is selling indulgences again? How long until the high church hierarchy is secretly married?
How long will we tolerate religious leaders of any faith demanding Americans follow a public morality that they are unable and unwilling to follow?
Sunday, April 11, 2010
11 April 2010 Long John Silver they ain’t or Son of a new gun
Suspected pirates take shots at U.S. ship
People on a skiff shot at the USS Ashland approximately 330 nautical miles off the coast of Djibouti.
The Ashland shot back, the U.S. Fifth Fleet said. The skiff caught fire and the people abandoned the skiff.
The Ashland deployed rigid-hull inflatable boats to assist the six suspected pirates in the water near their skiff. They were brought on board the Ashland and received medical care.
There were no injuries to the Ashland crew and no apparent damage to the ship, the U.S. Fifth Fleet said
I’ve dealt with this topic recently. I am amazed that any group of pirates thinks that they can take on a U.S. Navy ship and capture or defeat it. Yes, there is a recent history of small craft loaded with explosives and crewed by would-be-martyrs doing tremendous damage to the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen. But since that time ROE’s have been modified to allow ships’ captains to defend their vessels effectively. Small craft are no longer allowed to close to within range where such tactics would be effective without being engaged.
As naval vessels have become more sophisticated in nature the type of ordnance organic to naval vessels has changed markedly. Warships in the 20th century’s major wars were gun platforms for ship-to-ship engagement, shore bombardment, anti-aircraft fire, and anti-submarine duty. The image of a warship bristling with guns is now obsolete.
Ship-to-ship engagements, should they take place, are now carried out using missiles. Missiles also serve as anti-aircraft weaponry, anti-submarine weaponry, and ship-to-shore weapons. Some ships retain the 5 inch naval cannon that is now the Navy’s heavy gun, suitable for any target within 23 miles range. There are also point defense gatling-type radar aimed and corrected anti-missile systems, and the venerable .50 cal machine gun is still very
much in use. But these changes leave surface warships less able to deal with small craft than they once were. A 5 inch cannon is not a good weapon to use when in port as the risk of damage to other ships and shore facilities is high if the round misses its intended target. The .50 caliber machine gun is effective against most small craft but not always immediately so. Again, targeting must be exact in order to avoid unwanted damage to other ships and shore facilities.
Thus, small craft become more useful in planning high speed runs against naval ships. Aided by the relative lack of armor in today’s warships, such tactics can, if deployed successfully, incapacitate or perhaps even sink a war ship. The increasing likelihood of pirates and terrorists having access to anti-ship missiles via contacts with sponsoring states or from arms dealers is cause for naval ships to strictly enforce proximity limits of approach by any unidentified craft and to open fire at the first sign of hostile intent.
The current practice of rescuing any survivors of boats or ships sunk in the act of attacking a naval vessel my provide some limited intelligence concerning backing, financial, and ordnance support but should never be carried out if doing so jeopardizes our naval ships.
There is a very promising system in research now to replace the current naval cannon. Electro-magnetic rail guns are a potential new main armament for our warships that show great promise.
http://gizmodo.com/351467/navy-rail-gun-test-destroys-everything-it-touches-at-5640-mph
Watch the videos. This is just a trial shot at partial power. The completed weapon could be truly amazing.
Suspected pirates take shots at U.S. ship
People on a skiff shot at the USS Ashland approximately 330 nautical miles off the coast of Djibouti.
The Ashland shot back, the U.S. Fifth Fleet said. The skiff caught fire and the people abandoned the skiff.
The Ashland deployed rigid-hull inflatable boats to assist the six suspected pirates in the water near their skiff. They were brought on board the Ashland and received medical care.
There were no injuries to the Ashland crew and no apparent damage to the ship, the U.S. Fifth Fleet said
I’ve dealt with this topic recently. I am amazed that any group of pirates thinks that they can take on a U.S. Navy ship and capture or defeat it. Yes, there is a recent history of small craft loaded with explosives and crewed by would-be-martyrs doing tremendous damage to the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen. But since that time ROE’s have been modified to allow ships’ captains to defend their vessels effectively. Small craft are no longer allowed to close to within range where such tactics would be effective without being engaged.
As naval vessels have become more sophisticated in nature the type of ordnance organic to naval vessels has changed markedly. Warships in the 20th century’s major wars were gun platforms for ship-to-ship engagement, shore bombardment, anti-aircraft fire, and anti-submarine duty. The image of a warship bristling with guns is now obsolete.
Ship-to-ship engagements, should they take place, are now carried out using missiles. Missiles also serve as anti-aircraft weaponry, anti-submarine weaponry, and ship-to-shore weapons. Some ships retain the 5 inch naval cannon that is now the Navy’s heavy gun, suitable for any target within 23 miles range. There are also point defense gatling-type radar aimed and corrected anti-missile systems, and the venerable .50 cal machine gun is still very
much in use. But these changes leave surface warships less able to deal with small craft than they once were. A 5 inch cannon is not a good weapon to use when in port as the risk of damage to other ships and shore facilities is high if the round misses its intended target. The .50 caliber machine gun is effective against most small craft but not always immediately so. Again, targeting must be exact in order to avoid unwanted damage to other ships and shore facilities.
Thus, small craft become more useful in planning high speed runs against naval ships. Aided by the relative lack of armor in today’s warships, such tactics can, if deployed successfully, incapacitate or perhaps even sink a war ship. The increasing likelihood of pirates and terrorists having access to anti-ship missiles via contacts with sponsoring states or from arms dealers is cause for naval ships to strictly enforce proximity limits of approach by any unidentified craft and to open fire at the first sign of hostile intent.
The current practice of rescuing any survivors of boats or ships sunk in the act of attacking a naval vessel my provide some limited intelligence concerning backing, financial, and ordnance support but should never be carried out if doing so jeopardizes our naval ships.
There is a very promising system in research now to replace the current naval cannon. Electro-magnetic rail guns are a potential new main armament for our warships that show great promise.
http://gizmodo.com/351467/navy-rail-gun-test-destroys-everything-it-touches-at-5640-mph
Watch the videos. This is just a trial shot at partial power. The completed weapon could be truly amazing.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
10 April 2010 To bear or not to bear or through a head lamp dimly
10 April 2010 To bear or not to bear or through a head lamp dimly
Gloria’s niece, Diana, is to be married today. Gloria is enjoying her trip to Florida. I’m looking forward to her return.
Last night Loki wanted to stay out and sniff the air. I was not amenable to that as I suspect she smelled the bear. Bears are territorial and will adopt an area and repeatedly wander it. We’ve had at least three other certain bear visits in the last year. Normally bears, unless they have cubs, will show some reluctance to approach humans. Having cubs makes them very likely to contest for ground. Normally bears can be caused to leave by making loud noises such as metal on metal, shouting, and whistles. The Thursday bear seem to have no fear of loud noises. It also was not alarmed by my presence or Loki’s barking. This makes me think that the bear has been fed by someone local and has lost its fear of humans. I heard rumors last fall that a local family was leaving cookies and candy out for a bear that was visiting them repeatedly. It appears that this was true.
Last night, when I took Loki out at 2200, I was using rechargeable AAA batteries in my head lamp. I use this head lamp in order to have both hands free. This particular head lamp, a Petzl Tikka XP, gets a lot of hours from regular alkaline AAA batteries. I’m still trying to figure out how long the rechargeables will power a 1W LED. The lamp signals end of battery life by blinking off and on three times and then returning to full power on status. Normally, I’ve been able to get three or four more night dog walks from regular alkalines at this point in their power curve. Last night, I could watch the beam dropping in brightness as the batteries lost remaining charge.
Normally, this would just mean a walk back to the house with very little light to see the surrounds. Last night, the dropping battery power was concurrent with the deck lights timing out and turning off. They’re set for 12 minutes of light when activated by motion. The potential for another bear visit was quite forward in my thoughts last night. The time was about the same as Thursday night’s visit. There was very little natural light last night at 2200. The head lamp signaled “no more charge” at the farthest point in the driveway from the house. The rapid charge depletion limited the effective sight distance to about 10 feet, and that’s when the deck lamp timed out.
I eventually convinced Loki that it was time to return indoors. This morning I searched the grounds for more evidence of bear incursions. I didn’t find anything new, no footprints, no attack on the trash can. I took a fair amount of trash out to the trash bin this morning. Some of it will likely be interesting to a bear. The can was dented when a bear helped itself to trash during last summer’s bear visit. Since then, I’ve been using a length of shock cord to secure the lid. To my knowledge, it has not been tested by a bear yet. While I’m not eager to find out, it appears we may get a chance to test the efficacy of my “fix.” Bears have learned to open cars by jumping on them in order to obtain food and other items left inside. I’m hoping there is enough natural food for this bear. A bear with no fear of humans, accustomed to foraging in trash cans, is far more dangerous to have around than a normal bear.
Gloria’s niece, Diana, is to be married today. Gloria is enjoying her trip to Florida. I’m looking forward to her return.
Last night Loki wanted to stay out and sniff the air. I was not amenable to that as I suspect she smelled the bear. Bears are territorial and will adopt an area and repeatedly wander it. We’ve had at least three other certain bear visits in the last year. Normally bears, unless they have cubs, will show some reluctance to approach humans. Having cubs makes them very likely to contest for ground. Normally bears can be caused to leave by making loud noises such as metal on metal, shouting, and whistles. The Thursday bear seem to have no fear of loud noises. It also was not alarmed by my presence or Loki’s barking. This makes me think that the bear has been fed by someone local and has lost its fear of humans. I heard rumors last fall that a local family was leaving cookies and candy out for a bear that was visiting them repeatedly. It appears that this was true.
Last night, when I took Loki out at 2200, I was using rechargeable AAA batteries in my head lamp. I use this head lamp in order to have both hands free. This particular head lamp, a Petzl Tikka XP, gets a lot of hours from regular alkaline AAA batteries. I’m still trying to figure out how long the rechargeables will power a 1W LED. The lamp signals end of battery life by blinking off and on three times and then returning to full power on status. Normally, I’ve been able to get three or four more night dog walks from regular alkalines at this point in their power curve. Last night, I could watch the beam dropping in brightness as the batteries lost remaining charge.
Normally, this would just mean a walk back to the house with very little light to see the surrounds. Last night, the dropping battery power was concurrent with the deck lights timing out and turning off. They’re set for 12 minutes of light when activated by motion. The potential for another bear visit was quite forward in my thoughts last night. The time was about the same as Thursday night’s visit. There was very little natural light last night at 2200. The head lamp signaled “no more charge” at the farthest point in the driveway from the house. The rapid charge depletion limited the effective sight distance to about 10 feet, and that’s when the deck lamp timed out.
I eventually convinced Loki that it was time to return indoors. This morning I searched the grounds for more evidence of bear incursions. I didn’t find anything new, no footprints, no attack on the trash can. I took a fair amount of trash out to the trash bin this morning. Some of it will likely be interesting to a bear. The can was dented when a bear helped itself to trash during last summer’s bear visit. Since then, I’ve been using a length of shock cord to secure the lid. To my knowledge, it has not been tested by a bear yet. While I’m not eager to find out, it appears we may get a chance to test the efficacy of my “fix.” Bears have learned to open cars by jumping on them in order to obtain food and other items left inside. I’m hoping there is enough natural food for this bear. A bear with no fear of humans, accustomed to foraging in trash cans, is far more dangerous to have around than a normal bear.
Friday, April 9, 2010
First bear of spring addendum
Pictures may add value
The silver verticle bars in foreground are wind chimes ca. 18 inches in length. Vertical porch railings ca. 40 inches.
The silver verticle bars in foreground are wind chimes ca. 18 inches in length. Vertical porch railings ca. 40 inches.
9 April 2010 The first bear of spring – or – The bear will have to, I’m not inviting it in.
9 April 2010 The first bear of spring – or – The bear will have to, I’m not inviting it in.
I took Gloria to Tri-Cities Airport last night to catch a flight to St. Petersburg FL. Her niece, Diana, is to be married Saturday, on the beach at Long Boat Key. We had both planned to attend but animal care plans fell through.
The trip to the airport was uneventful but rainy. Once we got there, the tone of the evening changed. The counter person for Allegiant Air was singularly unhelpful when Gloria asked him to print a return boarding pass for. She tried to explain that she would not have access to a printer in Florida but he was unwilling to find any means to help her.
The airport has a snack bar/coffee shop type facility. We walked into it to check the menus for future reference. The sole person working there began yelling that he was closed. Gloria said, “OK, we just want to see the menu.” His repetition became louder, and more rude in tone. Finally I asked him what time he closed. We got an answer, more invective, and left.
We sat down to wait until she had to board. That wasn’t to be either. The airline paged all passengers with boarding passes to the gate. No plane there yet, but the lights in the terminal were going out. So I kissed her goodbye and returned home. It was foggy with drizzle all the way back.
Loki was unhappy that only I came through the door. I took her out about 2145. She wanted to go around back but I had her on a lead and kept her in the front yard. She ran in frantic circles sniffing until I finally brought her back in. Even then she wanted to go out back. As I was hanging up my jacket she lunged at the back door, barking loudly. I checked to see if, perhaps, a possum or raccoon had climbed onto the deck. I saw nothing at first then movement caught my eye and I realized that an adult black bear was happily eating something at the foot of the stairs to the back deck. I made as much noise as I could to; hopefully, discourage the bear from remaining and dining. Whistles, pounding on the window, turning on exterior lights, nothing discouraged a hungry bear.
It is a good thing I didn’t let Loki go around back. She’s never encountered a bear face to face and she’s brave enough to push her luck. I only had a sidearm and that would have been less than optimal if I had been required to separate Loki from the bear.
Gloria had several bird feeders and suet blocks on a line by the deck. Today there are two less bird feeders, a copper wind mobile has been damaged, and the suet block holders have been carried off. The bear, however, was not ungrateful. It answered an age old question. While I may still be uncertain as to the habits of some clergy, the ways of bears are no longer a mystery. There is shovel work ahead.
Bear encounters in the dark are not the best things to stumble into.
Tonight we can expect freezing temperatures. The well filter lamps need to be plugged in and returned to service. The drive in to campus was a visual delight, redbud trees blooming along the entire route, dogwood beginning to bloom, Bradford pears covered with white flowers, and a bright, clear blue sky with lenticular clouds over some of the peaks and high alto-cumulus chasing down the back of the cold front that blew through yesterday.
Gloria called me last night to let me know she had arrived and that her ride was waiting. She called again this morning, catching me just before it was time to leave. I’ve always enjoyed her voice over the phone. I’m reminded how lucky I am to not have as much hearing loss in those frequencies.
I took Gloria to Tri-Cities Airport last night to catch a flight to St. Petersburg FL. Her niece, Diana, is to be married Saturday, on the beach at Long Boat Key. We had both planned to attend but animal care plans fell through.
The trip to the airport was uneventful but rainy. Once we got there, the tone of the evening changed. The counter person for Allegiant Air was singularly unhelpful when Gloria asked him to print a return boarding pass for. She tried to explain that she would not have access to a printer in Florida but he was unwilling to find any means to help her.
The airport has a snack bar/coffee shop type facility. We walked into it to check the menus for future reference. The sole person working there began yelling that he was closed. Gloria said, “OK, we just want to see the menu.” His repetition became louder, and more rude in tone. Finally I asked him what time he closed. We got an answer, more invective, and left.
We sat down to wait until she had to board. That wasn’t to be either. The airline paged all passengers with boarding passes to the gate. No plane there yet, but the lights in the terminal were going out. So I kissed her goodbye and returned home. It was foggy with drizzle all the way back.
Loki was unhappy that only I came through the door. I took her out about 2145. She wanted to go around back but I had her on a lead and kept her in the front yard. She ran in frantic circles sniffing until I finally brought her back in. Even then she wanted to go out back. As I was hanging up my jacket she lunged at the back door, barking loudly. I checked to see if, perhaps, a possum or raccoon had climbed onto the deck. I saw nothing at first then movement caught my eye and I realized that an adult black bear was happily eating something at the foot of the stairs to the back deck. I made as much noise as I could to; hopefully, discourage the bear from remaining and dining. Whistles, pounding on the window, turning on exterior lights, nothing discouraged a hungry bear.
It is a good thing I didn’t let Loki go around back. She’s never encountered a bear face to face and she’s brave enough to push her luck. I only had a sidearm and that would have been less than optimal if I had been required to separate Loki from the bear.
Gloria had several bird feeders and suet blocks on a line by the deck. Today there are two less bird feeders, a copper wind mobile has been damaged, and the suet block holders have been carried off. The bear, however, was not ungrateful. It answered an age old question. While I may still be uncertain as to the habits of some clergy, the ways of bears are no longer a mystery. There is shovel work ahead.
Bear encounters in the dark are not the best things to stumble into.
Tonight we can expect freezing temperatures. The well filter lamps need to be plugged in and returned to service. The drive in to campus was a visual delight, redbud trees blooming along the entire route, dogwood beginning to bloom, Bradford pears covered with white flowers, and a bright, clear blue sky with lenticular clouds over some of the peaks and high alto-cumulus chasing down the back of the cold front that blew through yesterday.
Gloria called me last night to let me know she had arrived and that her ride was waiting. She called again this morning, catching me just before it was time to leave. I’ve always enjoyed her voice over the phone. I’m reminded how lucky I am to not have as much hearing loss in those frequencies.
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