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Gregtonn
| | Posted on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 09:00 pm: | 
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"reforms we would like to see:
laws written in english"
Rant on.
Why in blue blazes are our schools forced to spend million for bilingual education, and minute someone proposes making english the official language of the country the courts strike them down? Get a damn clue!
G |
Rfischer
| | Posted on Friday, April 24, 2009 - 08:40 am: |
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Sorry for the pontification, but....
The United States has a Common Law system of jurisprudence. What that means is the "law" is based on previous decisions of courts interpreting either, A] a set of facts, or B] written statutes and regulations. Going forward then, subsequent court decisions and new statutes and regulations must have regard to the previously interpreted facts and statutes. These are called "precedents" and lawyers and congressional bill writers must heed them.
To write "laws in English", meaning of course in simple terms a layman can understand, simply opens a whole new interpretational can of worms and will ultimately result in the same seeming obscurity an unintelligibility. That is precisely what happened when the consumer contract reform movement succeeded in getting "plain English contracts" popularized for a variety of consumer transactions.
The alternative to this is a Civil Law system of jurisprudence such as in France, or the Province of Quebec in Canada, and, interestingly, the U.S. state of Louisiana. That is, law according to a predetermined written outcome or fiat. Unfortunately, it is cumbersome, rigid, and requires frequent amending to account for changing circumstances. It also doesn't integrate well with Common Law which is a necessary part of modern social and business interaction with non-Civil Law jurisdictions.
Lecture over. |
Cityxslicker
| | Posted on Friday, April 24, 2009 - 05:31 pm: |
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In a year and a half, when I turn 42, I am leaving. I have done the work I need to do to pull the chute and leave.
No kids, not married, no ties. I quit.
Its a great time to be an American..... Overseas. The Azores are calling. I will send pics with Portuguese MUD on the CityX |
Aesquire
| | Posted on Friday, April 24, 2009 - 06:39 pm: |
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The Azores! I ( started to ) read a bad thriller novel about them. Terrorist plot to use nuke to set off volcano to cause landslide to tidal wave East coast of U.S.
I hope whoever took over for Bin Laden doesn't read Clancy or other technothrillers. |
Thumper74
| | Posted on Friday, April 24, 2009 - 08:00 pm: |
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I just got a visual of a bunch of terrorists in a cave smacking their foreheads asking 'Why didn't we think of that?!' to a Tom Clancy novel |
Ft_bstrd
| | Posted on Friday, April 24, 2009 - 08:13 pm: |
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If I could, I'd be a resident of New Zealand. |
Johnnymceldoo
| | Posted on Friday, April 24, 2009 - 10:47 pm: |
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http://www.newsvine.com/_question/2009/04/24/27286 69-should-president-obama-push-to-permanently-rein state-a-ban-on-assault-weapons |
Ducbsa
| | Posted on Saturday, April 25, 2009 - 07:57 am: |
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Johnny - good link. One reply said something about one shot at a time is enough for Bambi. Obviously, the guy thinks the scary looking "assault rifles" are different from the non-scary semi-auto rifles. If this goes any farther, I hope a leader emerges who can say loud enough that the media won't ignore him that it is merely an appearance issue.
(Message edited by ducbsa on April 25, 2009) |
Cityxslicker
| | Posted on Saturday, April 25, 2009 - 04:17 pm: |
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Just because I have one bullet, doesnt mean the target will be any less affected.
The gang and Quantico and Parris Island will back me up, one shot can do wonders. |
Ducbsa
| | Posted on Saturday, April 25, 2009 - 05:49 pm: |
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One shot each worked for those pirates. |
Aesquire
| | Posted on Sunday, April 26, 2009 - 01:36 am: |
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Operative word...."each". |
Cudajohn
| | Posted on Sunday, April 26, 2009 - 07:00 pm: |
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One shot each worked for those pirates.
Here's the rest of the story on that.
I'll post this for what it's worth. I got it in an e-mail today.
Quote:
Your "Real" story is not exactly the way I heard it, and probably has a
few political twists thrown in to stir the pot.* Rather than me trying
to correct it, I'll just tell you what I found out from my contacts at
NSWC Norfolk and at SOCOM Tampa.
First though, let me orient you to familiarize you with the "terrain."
In Africa from Djibouti at the southern end of the Red Sea eastward
through the Gulf of Aden to round Cape Guardafui at the easternmost tip
of Africa (also known as "The Horn of Africa") is about a 600 nm transit
before you stand out into the Indian Ocean.* That transit is comparable
in distance to that from the mouth of the Mississippi at New Orleans to
the tip of Florida at Key West-- except that 600 nm over there is
infested with Somalia pirates.
Ships turning southward at the Horn of Africa transit the SLOC (Sea Lane
of Commerce) along the east coast of Somalia because of the prevailing
southerly currents there.* It's about 1,500 nm on to Mombassa, which is
just south of the equator in Kenya.* Comparably, that's about the
transit distance from Portland Maine down the east coast of the US to
Miami Florida.* In other words, the ocean area being patrolled by our
naval forces off the coast of Somalia is comparable to that in the Gulf
of Mexico from the Mississippi River east to Miami then up the eastern
seaboard to Maine.
*
Second, let me globally orient you from our Naval Operating Base in
Norfolk, VA, east across the Atlantic to North Africa, thence across the
Med to Suez in Egypt, thence southward down the Red Sea to Djibouti at
the Gulf of Aden, thence eastward to round Cape Guardafui at the
easternmost tip of Africa, and thence southerly some 300 miles down the
east cost of Somali out into the high seas of the Indian Ocean to the
position of MV ALABAMA is a little more than 7,000 nm, and plus-nine
time-zones ahead of EST.
Hold that thought, in that, a C-17 transport averaging a little better
than 400 kts (SOG) takes the best part of 18 hours to make that trip.
In the evening darkness late Thursday night, a team of Navy SEALs from
NSWC (Naval Surface Warfare Center) Norfolk parachuted from such a C-17
into the black waters (no refraction of light) of the Indian Ocean--
close-aboard to our 40,000 ton amphibious assault ship, USS BOXER (LHD
4), the flagship of our ESG (Expeditionary Strike Group) in the AOR
(Area Of Responsibility, the Gulf of Aden).* They not only parachuted in
with all of their "equipment," they had their own inflatable boats,
RHIB's (Rigid Hull, Inflatable Boats) with them for over-water
transport.* They went into BOXER's landing dock, debarked, and staged
for the rescue-- Thursday night.
And, let me comment on time-late:* In that the SEAL's quick response--
departing ready-alert in less than 4 hours from Norfolk-- supposedly
surprised POTUS's staff, whereas President Obama was miffed not to get
his "cops" there before the Navy.* He reportedly questioned his staff,
"Will 'my' FBI people get there before the Navy does?"* It took the FBI
almost 12 hours to put together a team and get them packed-up-- for an
"at sea" rescue.* The FBI was trying to tell him that they are not
practiced to do this-- Navy SEALs are.* But, BHO wanted the FBI there
"to help," that is, carry out the Attorney General's (his) orders to
negotiate the release of Captain Phillips peacefully-- because
apparently he doesn't trust GW's military to carry out his "political
guidance."
The flight of the FBI's passenger jet took a little less than 14 hours
at 500-some knots to get to Djibouti.* BOXER'S helos picked them up and
transported them out to the ship.* The Navy SEALs were already there,
staged, and ready to act by the time POTUS's FBI arrived on board later
that evening.* Notably, the first request by the OSC (On Scene
Commander) that early Friday morning to take them out and save Captain
Phillips was denied, to wit:* "No, wait until 'my' FBI people get
there."
Third, please consider a candid assessment of ability that finds that
the FBI snipers had never practiced shooting from a rolling, pitching,
yawing, surging, swaying, heaving platform-- and, target-- such as a
ship and a lifeboat on the high seas.* Navies have been doing since
Admiral Nelson who had trained "Marines" to shoot muskets from the
ship's rigging-- ironically, he was killed at sea in HMS VICTORY at the
Battle of Trafalgar by a French Marine rifleman that shot him from the
rigging of the French ship that they were grappling alongside.
*
Notably, when I was first training at USNA in 1955, the Navy was doing
it with a SATU, Small Arms Training Unit, based at our Little Creek
amphib base.* Now, Navy SEAL's, in particular SEAL Team SIX (The
"DevGru") based at NSWC (Naval Surface Warfare Center) at Little Creek
do that training now, and hone their skills professionally-- daily.
Shooting small arms from a ship is more of an accomplished "Art Form"
than it is a practiced skill.* When you are "in the bubble" and "in
tune" with the harmonic motion you find, through practice, that you are
"able to put three .308 slugs inside the head of a quarter at 100
meters, in day or night-- or, behind a camouflaged net or a thin
enclosure, such as a superstructure bulkhead.* Yes, we have the
monocular scopes that can "see" heat-- and, draw a bead on it.* SEALs
are absolutely expert at it-- with the movie clips to prove it.
*
Okay, now try to imagine patrolling among the boats fishing everyday out
on the Grand Banks off our New England coast, and then responding to a
distress call from down around the waters between Florida and the
Bahamas.* Three points for you to consider here:* (1)
Time-Distance-Speed relationships for ships on the high seas, for
instance, at a 25-knot SOA (Speed Of Advance) it takes 24 hours to make
good 600 nm-- BAINBRIDGE did.* (2) Fishermen work on the high seas, and
(3) The best place to hide as a "fisherman" pirate is among other
fishermen
Early Wednesday morning, 4/8/2009, MV ALABAMA is at sea in the IO about
300 miles off the (east) coast of Somalia en route to Mombassa Kenya.
Pirates in small boat start harassing her, and threatening her with
weapons.* MV ALABAMA's captain sent out the distress call by radio, and
ordered his Engineer to shut down the engines as well as the
ship-service electrical generators-- in our lingo, "Go dark and cold."
He informed his crew by radio what was happening, and ordered them to go
to an out-of-the-way compartment and lock themselves in it-- from the
inside.* He would stay in the pilot house to "negotiate" with the
pirates.
The pirates boarded, captured the Captain, and ordered him to start the
engines.* He said he would order his Engineer to do so, and he called
down to Engine Control on the internal communication system, but got no
answer.* The lead pirate ordered two of his four men to go down and find
him and get the engines started.
*
Inside a ship without any lights is like the definition of dark.* The
advantage goes to the people who work and live there.* They jumped the
two pirates in a dark passageway.* Both pirates lost their weapons, but
one managed to scramble and get away.* The other they tied up, put tape
over his mouth and a knife at his throat.
*
Other members of the crew opened the drain cocks on the pirates boat and
cast it adrift.* It foundered and sunk.* The scrambling pirate made it
back to the pilot house and told of his demise.* The pirates took the
Captain at gun point, and told him to launch one of his rescue boats
(not a life boat, per se).* As he was lowering the boat for them, the
crew appeared with the other pirate to negotiate a trade.* The crew let
their hostage go to soon, and the pirates kept the captain.* But, he
purposefully had lowered the boat so it would jam.
*
With the rescue boat jammed, the pirates jumped over to a lifeboat and
released it as the captain jumped in the water.* They fired at him, made
him stop, and grabbed him out of the water.* Now, as night falls in the
vastness of the Indian Ocean, we have the classic "Mexican" standoff, to
wit:* A life-boat that is just that, a life-boat adrift without any
means of propulsion except oars and paddles; and, a huge (by comparison)
Motor Vessel Container Ship adrift with a crew that is not going to
leave their captain behind.* The pirates are enclosed under its
shelter-covering, holding the captain as their hostage.* The crew is
hunkered down in their ship waiting for the "posse" to arrive.
After receiving MV ALABAMA'S distress call, USS BAINBRIDGE (DDG 96) was
dispatched by the ESG commander to respond to ALABAMA's distress call.
At best sustainable speed, she arrived on scene the day after-- that is,
in the dark of that early Thursday morning.* As BAINBRIDGE quietly and
slowly, at darkened-ship without any lights to give her away, arrived on
scene, please consider a recorded interview with the Chief Engineer of
MV ALABAMA describing BAINBRIDGE's arrival.* He said it was something
else "... to see the Navy slide in there like a greyhound!"* He then
said as she slipped in closer he could see the "Stars and Stripes"
flying from her masthead.* He got choked up saying it was the
"...proudest moment of my life."
*
Phew!* Let that sink in.
*
Earlier in the day, one of the U.S. Navy's Maritime Patrol Aircraft, a
fixed wing P3C, flew over to recon the scene.* They dropped a buoy with
a radio to the pirates so that the Navy's interpreter could talk with
the pirates.* When BAINBRIDGE arrived, the pirates thought the radio to
be a beaconing device, and threw it overboard.* They wanted a satellite
telephone so that they could call home for help.* Remember now, they are
fishermen, not "Rocket Scientists," in that, they don't know that we can
intercept the phone transmission also.
MV ALABAMA* provided them with a satellite phone.* They called home back
to "somebody" in Eyl Somalia (so that we now know where you live) to
come out and get them.* The "somebody" in Eyl said they would be out
right away with other hostages, like 54 of them from other countries,
and that they would be coming out in two of their pirated ships.
Right-- and, the tooth fairy will let you have sex with her.* Yea, in
paradise.* The "somebody" in Eyl just chalked up four more expendables
as overhead for "the cost of operation."* Next page.
*
Anyway, ESG will continue to "watch" Eyl for any ships standing out.
The Navy SEAL team, SEAL TEAM SIX, from NSWC briefed the OSC (Commander
Castellano, CO BAINBRIDGE) on how they could rescue the captain from the
life boat with swimmers-- "Combat Swimmers," per se.* That plan was
denied by POTUS because it put the captain in danger-- and, involved
killing the pirates.
*
The FBI negotiators arrived on scene, and talked the pirates into
sending their wounded man over for treatment Saturday morning.* Later
that afternoon, the SEAL's sent over their RHIB with food and water to
recon the life boat but the pirates shot at it.* They could have taken
them out then (from being fired upon) but were denied again being told
that the captain was not in "imminent danger."* The FBI negotiators
calmed the situation by informing the pirates of threatening weather as
they could see storm clouds closing from the horizon, and offered to tow
the life boat.* The pirates agreed, and BAINBRIDGE took them under tow
in their wake at 30 meters-- exactly 30 meters, which is exactly the
distance the SEALs practice their shooting skills.
With the lifeboat under tow, riding comfortably bow-down on BAINBRIDGE's
wake-wave ("rooster tail"), had a 17-second period of harmonic motion,
and at the end of every half-period (8.5 seconds) was steady on.* The
light-enhanced (infra-red heat) monocular scopes on the SEAL's .308
caliber Mark 11 Mod 0 H&K suppressor-fitted sniper rifles easily imaged
their target very clearly.* Pirates in a life boat at 30-meters could be
compared to fish in a barrel.* All that was necessary was to take out
the plexiglass window so that it would not deflect the trajectory of the
high velocity .308 round.* So, a sniper (one of four) with a wad-cutter
round (a flaxen sabot) would take out the window a split second before
the kill-shot-- no change in sight-picture, just the window blowing out,
clean.
*
Now, here's the part BHO's "whiz kids" knew as well as the Navy
hierarchy, including CO BAINBRIDGE and CO SEAL TEAM SIX.* It's the law
in Article 19 of Appendix L in the "Convention of the High Seas" that
the Commanding Officer of a US Ship on the high seas is obligated to
respond to distress signals from any flagged ship (US or otherwise), and
protect the life and property thereof when deemed to be in IMMINENT
DANGER.* So, in the final analysis, it would be Captain Castellano call
as to "Imminent Danger," and that he alone was obligated (duty bound) to
act accordingly.
Got the picture?
*
After medically attending to the wounded pirate, and feeding him, come
first light (from the east) on Easter Sunday morning and the pirates saw
they were being towed further out to sea (instead of westward toward
land), the wounded pirate demanded to be returned to the lifeboat.
There would BE NO more negotiations-- and, the four Navy SEAL snipers
"in the bubble" went "Unlock."* The pirate holding Captain Philips
raised the gun to his head, and IMMINENT DANGER was so observed and
noted in the Log as CO BAINBRIDGE gave the classic order: WEAPONS
RELEASED!** I can hear the echo in my earpiece now, "On my count (from
8.5 seconds), 3, 2, 1, !"* POP, BANG!* Out went the window, followed by
three simultaneous shots.* The scoreboard flashed: "GAME OVER, GAME
OVER-- NAVY 3, PIRATES 0!"
*
I hope you found the above informative as best I know it-- and, please
excuse me in that after more than 50 years the Navy is still in me.* I
submit that AMERICA is going to make a comeback, and more than likely
it'll be on the back of our cherished youth serving with honor in Our
military.* So, let's
Look Up, Get Up-- and, Never Give Up!
Unquote |
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