Strangely Perfect

Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl, aged 23, of Ketchum, Idaho, is a member of the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, from Fort Richardson, Alaska.  He was captured in circumstances that aren’t clear and has appeared in a Taliban video (prev at http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-soldier20-2009jul20,0,4913063.story), seen world-wide. So far, it appears [...]

It’s funny how things change and how the world has different perceptions of a people.  You see, people have long memories. Somali Pirates Vow Revenge on U.S., France on Rescues – is the news currently.  Also, the Somalis have taken pot-shots at a US politician in Mogadishu according to Voice of America. This all flies [...]

This BBC report contains video proof that HMS Endurance, called a ship here, is actually a boat! Damaged Endurance set for repairs The point is in the Royal Navy’s definition.  Sailors get extremely upset (yes really, if you are not a sailor) when you call their ship a boat.  I’ve done it in conversation in [...]

In an amazingly co-incidental follow up to my earlier post, Not all Pirates Win, but Most Do!,  on the very same day news was just being released that some Royal Navy ships had their NavyStar (N*) computers compromised by a virus originating from “the former eastern bloc”. Token News Links: Royal Navy warships lose email [...]

This is not a rant comparing the US military against others for effectiveness.  It’s purely my observation of events and appearances surrounding the current (10 years!) piracy problem on the high seas. This is the homepage of the US 5th Fleet above. All clean and big and modern and powerful and heroic (Take My Breath [...]

Admiral Mark Fitzgerald told the BBC that  Somali pirates ‘hard to defeat’.  So even though NATO want to install missiles all over Europe to counter a mythical threat, and even though they have highly advanced RADAR, monitoring and communication systems, they still can’t manage to do what the Royal Navy did very effectively 200 years ago [...]

In an interesting twist to the news today, both the UK military, the US military, the Russian military and the Ukrainian military have shown themselves to be totally useless! The UK have had RAF personnel files stolen from a high security base in Gloucestershire!  Personnel records stolen from MoD In the current climate, this is [...]

Following on from the two bombers landing in Venezuela only 11 days ago (which I reported here when talking about the decreasing effectualness of Bush and USA power in the world), they will shortly be joined by a mean and capable looking ship called Peter the Great as well as a few others. They are [...]

Two days ago the USS McFaul (DDG-74) passed through the Bosporus en-route to Georgia to deliver relief aid. Now it’s arrived. U.S. Navy relief aid ship reaches Georgia & US warship reaches Georgian port. However, it’s a slightly under-whelming and bizarre effort that isn’t fooling anybody.  To make it sound good, the ship is reported [...]

What’s all this Buddhism then, like? Intro I practice the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin who was a guy living in 13th century Japan. He is what most people nowadays would call a “good guy” although at the time, because he spoke his mind which then annoyed the ruling classes, he spent most of his life [...]