An Ol' Broad's Ramblings
Archive for 5 January 2008
Helpful Tazz
What do you with a cat who insists on helping you unpack?
Only thing ya can do….put her in the drawer too!
Not Live Blogging!
I didn’t see the debates from the beginning. From what I’ve seen, I’m glad I didn’t. Is it me, or are most of them talking in circles?
We Are Home!
And darn glad of it too! I missed our bed. I missed our cats. I missed my coffee maker. I missed my washing machine. I missed my dryer.
Yep! Happy to be home!
Pardon The Language!
Scores of soldiers flying home from Afghanistan on Christmas leave were ordered to change out of their uniforms on a freezing runway before being allowed into a civilian airport terminal.
Troops were told not to be seen in public in their uniforms – which they had worn with pride while risking their lives during months of intense fighting against the Taliban.
Last night the Ministry of Defence and bosses at Birmingham International Airport blamed each other for the indignity suffered by the soldiers – which comes amid mounting anger over the treatment of British troops returning from war.
One soldier, who was ordered to undress for “security reasons”, said: “It is an insult to the entire Army to force guys who’ve been fighting in Afghanistan to obey some jobsworth rule when all they want to do is get home to their families.
“So much for a nation proud of its servicemen. The temperature was Baltic on the runway but most of just wanted to get home so we cracked on.”
The December 23 flight, carrying 200 personnel, had been diverted from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire to Birmingham because of bad weather.
The troops were told they could either wait for coaches to take them back to Brize Norton or else travel home via public transport – in which case they must change into civilian clothes before entering the terminal.
Around 50 chose the latter option and, because there was no room in the cabin, most changed outside.
Last night the airport authorities denied responsibility, saying: “We support our Armed Forces and whatever form of dress they choose to wear at our airport.”
The MoD eventually confirmed it has a ban on troops wearing uniform in civilian airports, claiming it was because a small number of airlines ban all uniforms on flights for security reasons.
A spokesman said: “In this case, it appears it was applied a little too rigidly.” The policy will now be reviewed.
Reviewed? What a total crock of British BULLSHIT! They should be on their knees begging forgiveness for treating those who keep their sorry asses safe! Who are they going to offend? Muslims? Who gives a shit!
H/T: Badger Blogger
Morning Coffee 01/05/07
No trace of warmongering in Iranian nation: Leader
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has warned against any act of aggression against the Islamic Republic.
“No one can find the slightest sign of warmongering in this nation and in the elected administration, but this peace-loving nation will crush any aggressor in such a way that the intention of the aggression would be removed from his mind,†Ayatollah Khamenei told army commanders in the city of Yazd on Friday.
I guess this clown doesn’t considering threatening to “wipe Israel off the map”, warmongering.
As government cracks down on workplaces, ID theft cranks up
For a price, he could provide “pantalones,” or pants, for men and “faldas,” or skirts, for women – his codes names for the all-important work documents that illegal immigrants needed to land a job at the rural East Texas plants of Pilgrim’s Pride, the nation’s largest poultry processor.
Now, “Chilango,” or Daniel Totosaus Rodriguez, along with nearly two dozen others, is facing criminal charges of selling or using stolen or freshly fabricated work documents, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Texarkana Division, in December.
Yet we keep hearing these illegals are adding much to the country? I guess destroying people’s lives with the theft of their identity doesn’t count, eh?
FDA to Back Food From Cloned Animals
Having completed a years-long scientific review, the Food and Drug Administration is set to announce as early as next week that meat and milk from cloned farm animals and their offspring can start making their way toward supermarket shelves, sources in contact with the agency said yesterday.
They better label that crap, cuz I, for one, am NOT buying fake meat!
With more people carrying guns, self-defense killings on increase
The number of justifiable homicides in Memphis jumped from 11 in 2006 to 32 in 2007.
No one is sure why, but one man has a theory.
“The thugs have started running into people who can protect themselves,” said Tom Givens, owner and instructor at the firearms training school RangeMaster, 2611 S. Mendenhall in Memphis.
Gee, ya think? People are getting sick of being made victims by the trash that roams the streets.
Iraqi Soldier Kills Two American GIs During Joint Mission in Baghdad
The U.S. military said Saturday that an Iraqi soldier apparently shot dead two American service members for “reasons that are as yet unknown” while they were on a joint patrol north of the capital. An Iraqi official said the suspect has links to militant groups.
Three other U.S. soldiers and one civilian interpreter were wounded in the Dec. 26 attack, the military said in a statement. The shooting occurred as American and Iraqi soldiers were conducting operations to establish a combat outpost in Ninevah province in northern Iraq.
According to Brig. Mutaa Habib Jassim al-Khazrachi, commander of the Iraqi army’s 2nd Division, an initial investigation has indicated that the Iraqi soldier has links to militant groups in the area.
26 Dec? And we’re just now hearing about this? Do they not do background checks on their recruits?
600K without power amid Calif. storm
The storm that has pummeled California with gale-force wind and heavy rain dropped a thick blanket of snow on the Sierra Nevada on Saturday and kept thousands of people from their homes in mudslide-prone areas.
A major highway crossing the Sierra Nevada between Nevada and Northern California had been closed since Friday evening because of the snow.
When I lived out there, closing that highway was a normal occurrence. Why are they making a big deal out of it now? I sure hope those without power have fireplaces to keep warm!
Afghanistan appeals for food aid
Afghanistan is appealing to the international community to provide extra supplies of wheat to alleviate a shortage, an Afghan minister has said.
Commerce Minister Mohammad Amin Farhang said the shortage could lead to serious problems during the winter.
Here’s a novel idea. How ’bout planting wheat and corn instead of poppies. That might make things a tad easier for the people of Afghanistan.
