$70,000,000,000
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We had some storms move through last night, nothing big but it woke me up once. We can always use rain in the spring.
Our dogs had another fight this morning, Shane was playing with Emma and they Emma and Stella got into a fight and Anika jumped in on Emma’s side. So Stella has a hole in her leg and another on her neck, Anika has a gash in her leg and Emma’s nose got chewed up. Oh, and when Dawnell tried to break it up and pull Anika off of Stella, she attempted to pry Anika’s mouth open and she got bit also. I don’t know what we are going to do with the dogs.
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MOST DIS-LIKED PRESIDENT
A new poll suggests that President Bush is the most unpopular president in modern American history.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Thursday indicates that 71 percent of the American public disapprove of how Bush is handling his job as president.
“No president has ever had a higher disapproval rating in any CNN or Gallup Poll; in fact, this is the first time that any president’s disapproval rating has cracked the 70 percent mark,” said Keating Holland, CNN’s polling director.
“Bush’s approval rating, which stands at 28 percent in our new poll, remains better than the all-time lows set by Harry Truman and Richard Nixon, but even those two presidents never got a disapproval rating in the 70s,” Holland said. “The previous all-time record in CNN or Gallup polling was set by Truman, 67 percent disapproval in January 1952.”
Nixon’s disapproval rating in August 1974 stood at 66 percent.
*** I still think they need a poll for dumbest President ever ***
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SGT GERMAN - REST IN PEACE
Sgt. Merlin German died April 11 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where he was continuing treatment for the injuries he suffered in combat on Feb. 22, 2005, the Pentagon said Thursday.
The former turret gunner was dubbed the “Miracle Man” for his determination in facing his wounds, which cost the former saxophone player his fingers and rippled his face with scars. He endured more than 40 surgeries, spent 17 months in a hospital and had to learn to walk again.
German had been stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that the state Capitol’s flags would be flown at half-staff in German’s honor, saying the sergeant’s “courage and unfailing loyalty serve as an inspiration to Americans everywhere.”
*** Another notch in Bush’s belt ***
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UNFIT FOR COMBAT
An inspection by the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey - commonly known as an InSurv - turned up several infractions on two of the Navy’s top ships, the Chosin and the Stout. Each ship represents the Navy’s most sophisticated front-line surface combatants. You can see a graphic of the two ships and their defencies here.
Here are highlights from the Board of Inspection and Survey reports on the cruiser Chosin and destroyer Stout.
USS Chosin
Last deployment: April-September 2007
* AN/SPS-49 and AN/SPY-1B radars severely degraded by multiple issues.
* 26 percent of the vertical launch system cells had hatch timing problems and were operationally unusable.
* Two of three fire control directors were 19 years old and beyond their 15-year depot overhaul requirement.
* Aviation facility had enough discrepancies to preclude safe flight operations. Aviation demonstration scored an UNSAT .58.
* Ship could not properly connect shore electrical power.
* Pilot’s ladder was unsafe for use and too short.
* General ship’s lighting was inadequate; “upgrade of lighting fixtures would enhance the ability of personnel to operate and maintain the ship’s systems.”
* Secondary rescue boat could not be secured for sea.
* Nine Departure From Spec listings were in excess of 180 days without being repaired; one item — shaft plastic coating — dated from April 2001.
* All 25 Mk 1 life preservers and all 29 Kapok life preservers failed visual inspection.
* 46 of 51 Kevlar lifelines failed visual inspection.
* 95 percent of the external ladders were rigged with the wrong securing pins or had missing handrail safety pins.
* Communications demonstration scored an UNSAT .57, as did the Environmental Protection demonstration.
USS Stout
Last deployment: July-December 2007
* Aegis AN/SPY-1D power output was reduced by about 75 percent.
* Two of three Mk 99 missile illuminators were inoperable.
* Aft vertical launch system magazine unusable due to fuel tank leakage.
* Close-In Weapon System was inoperable.
* Neither of two triple torpedo tube mounts could be quickly trained to firing position.
* The Mk 45 5-inch gun couldn’t fire due to corrosion in the gun cradle.
* Search-and-rescue swimmer gear would not permit operations in water colder than 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
* An intermittent problem with the Mk 39 Gyro Data Converter, causing unreliable data to be fed to the Aegis weapon control system and gun fire control system, had been reported in March 2006 but still not repaired.
* Food service was degraded: The ship’s walk-in freezer and nine of 13 reach-in reefers had problems; neither single tank dishwasher worked, nor did all three waste disposal units. Only one of four steam kettles was operating.
* 26 of 77 watertight closures inspected were not watertight.
* The ship scored an UNSAT .51 for the anti-air warfare demonstration.
* Only three gas turbines were in operation, precluding the ability to conduct a full-power demonstration.
* The flight deck status lighting system was inoperable due to corrosion.
* The deck demonstration received a .50 score, UNSAT.
* The aviation demonstration received a score of .59, UNSAT.
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ANOTHER 70 BILLION DOLLARS PLEASE
Friday’s request fills in the details of the $70 billion placeholder that the White House asked for when it sent its budget to Congress in February. The money is for the budget year that begins Oct. 1.
Congressional analysts say Bush’s request would bring the total spending since Sept. 11, 2001, to fight terrorism and conduct the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to $875 billion.
The bulk of the money, $45 billion, would fund combat operations, but there’s also $3 billion to deal with roadside bombs and $2 billion to cope with rising fuel costs.
*** And my kids can only go to school 4 days a week because of reduced funding for education… ***
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RUMMY THE DUMMY?
Here is a link to an article in Time about Rumsfeld from the book by LT Gen Sanchez.
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“Those who think that they can say we’re only going to have a stimulus package, but let’s forget tax relief, misunderestimate — excuse me, underestimate (laughter) — just making sure you were paying attention. You were.”
George W. Bush
March 29, 2001
White House press conference.
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263 Days Left
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Number of Operations Iraq Freedom and Enduring
Freedom casualties as confirmed by U.S. Central
Command: 4535
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