Sturgee

Reply to Things that go "THUMP" in the night.... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

UPDATE 2: With the increased sectarian violence following the mosque bombings, things have been up and down. The first day or so it was very quiet (since the locals were trying to kill each other instead of us for a change). However, a few nights ago, it started getting exciting again, and we had 2 or 3 explosions per night for a couple of nights in a row. Not sure what they were, but I suspect mortar rounds. We've also had a lot more gunfire rece

BOOK REVIEW: Weapons of Choice in Fiction JoeUser Forums

I actually read this book several months ago, but just finished it's sequel, so I figured I'd drop a review of this one first, and then another review for the sequel. Anyway, a couple of buddies at work recommended the book to me, and I think it was pretty good. It's not the deepest b

Reply to Things that go "THUMP" in the night.... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

UPDATE: We had an incoming mortar round hit to the southeast of our perimeter yesterday. It wasn't close enough to be really scary, just near enough to shake the building a little with a big (WHUMP). "Welcome to Iraq. NOW GO HOME!!"

Reply to Things that go "THUMP" in the night.... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

I'm good... Didn't see any tracers or anything. Talking to some of the folks that were here back in the fall of '05, it is MUCH quieter now than it was then. One of the training trailers I'm working in does have some nice bullet holes from incoming fire last year though!! The dang thing went clean through two trailers (mobile home size trailers by the way). Crazy stuff... </font

Things that go "THUMP" in the night.... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Well, things have been pretty quiet here in Baghdad. I had been here almost a full week, and while I've heard folks talk about "hearing gunfire", I hadn't heard a damn thing. This place was seeming less and less like a "war zone" by the day. Then, around 9-10pm two nights ago, I'm out chatting with a couple of guys here, and I hear the following: pop<B

Going to the sandbox in Misc JoeUser Forums

Not that I'm the most prolific contributor here anyway, but there may be a considerable dry spell forthcoming. I will be flying out tomorrow for a 6-week short tour to work in Iraq. Should be back in later March. Not sure how much free time I'll have, and how much access I'll have to the internet. Hope everybody else has a great Valentine's Day, President's Day, a

BOOK REVIEW: Ten Things You Can't Say In America in Misc JoeUser Forums

Okay, just finished another politically oriented book. This one was titled "The Ten Things You Can't Say In America", written by Larry Elder. I give the book a 4 out of 5. Not the best work I've ever read, and there were some points that Larry made along the way that I question (along the li

Reply to To Serve Or not to Serve? in Politics JoeUser Forums

I totally agree with pseudosoldier on that. I did a lot of "recruiting" while I was in the Army National Guard. Was I out trying to actively bring new bodies into the unit? NOPE. I just told people that I knew what the deal was. I told them what the benefits were, told them what the pitfalls were, and let them make their own decisions. A few signed up, others didn't.

Reply to Zawahiri Hiding Among the Masses in Politics JoeUser Forums

THAT T-SHIRT KICKS A$$!

BOOK REVIEW: Do As I Say (Not As I Do) in Misc JoeUser Forums

Peter Schweizer's book, Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy, gets a 3 1/2 out of 5 rating from me. I just finished it in Audiobook on CD format (to listen to while commuting to and from work), and I mostly enjoyed it. Schweizer takes a look at several liberal "leaders", including Noah Chomsky, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Mich

Reply to Still here folks... in Misc JoeUser Forums

Now maybe the Jews that voted for the leftwing at the rate of 74% in the last election will wake up and see what I have always known, no one likes Jews except other Jews and not even all of them either. I curse the day GOD opened his mouth and declared Jews as Gods chosen people, Spoken like a

Reply to Still here folks... in Misc JoeUser Forums

Soo, I can call people jews, or I can call them bastards, but combining the two is a no-go? Actually, I think it was the "F" word expletive that made it bad. Jew bastard would have been okay.... {insert sarcasm here}

Reply to Still here folks... in Misc JoeUser Forums

Wow, now it's going to be hard to justify my voting for her . Glad to hear you guys are feeling better. Shout at you soon amigo.

Reply to Where Does the Fourth Amendment Begin and End? in Politics JoeUser Forums

Well, I found this: "In its plurality decision in Zweibon v. Mitchell, 516 F.2d 594, 613-14 (D.C. Cir. 1975), cert. denied, 425 U.S. 944 (1976), the District of Columbia Circuit took a somewhat different view in a case involving a warrantless wiretap of a domestic organization that was not an agent of a foreign power or working in collaboration with a foreign power. Finding that a warrant was required in such circums

Reply to Where Does the Fourth Amendment Begin and End? in Politics JoeUser Forums

pictoratus - Check out the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA), also known as U.S. Code Title 50, Chapter 36. You can read it all here: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode50/usc_sup_01_50_10_36.html This law was passed in 1978, after several of the previous court decisions that ruled that warrantless intercepts were legal. This law was in response to essentially illegal intercepts made without wa

Reply to Where Does the Fourth Amendment Begin and End? in Politics JoeUser Forums

I too agree with you Gid. My gut says that something isn't right about the situation. I also have professional experience in this field, which leans me toward believing something is amiss. When I went through training for intercepting, it was made very clear that we could intercept on US citizens in two situations: 1. Never and 2. Never. At a higher level, with FISA court approval, this obviously can be circumvented, but years of training st

Reply to Where Does the Fourth Amendment Begin and End? in Politics JoeUser Forums

FISA does not say individuals within the United States. It says " to which a United States person is a party". Read that as an American citizen. Someone who is an alien (non-citizen) is who this was aimed at. A non-citizen may be "within" the US. Actually, the definition of "United States person" is a U

Reply to Here's PROOF Bush broke no law! in Politics JoeUser Forums

Para - I TOTALLY agree with you that Congress was spineless for not declaring war. I'm not sure of the legal definition/interpretation as it relates to a de facto declaration of war based on actions. I'd need to confer with the Constitutional Scholar tucked away under my bed... I don't read the current situation to be a declared state of war. I know that we

First Featured Article in Blogging JoeUser Forums

Okay, maybe they don't really like me. I'm just excited to actually have my first featured article here at Joe User. A real accomplishment. Now if I can just remember to put my pants on before I leave for work in the morning...... Thanks everybody for the support! <a href="http://s12

Reply to Where Does the Fourth Amendment Begin and End? in Politics JoeUser Forums

WOW! Gideon - this is one of the best written, concise, and non-biased pieces I've read on here in a LONG time. Thank you for bringing this up in such a fair way. I agree that there should be an investigation. I've written elsewhere that I suspect wrongdoing here, but I'm not a judge, and it isn't my call. My background in the intel field causes me to have grave concerns about this situation though. Thanks again for all the info. Tea - y

Reply to Here's PROOF Bush broke no law! in Politics JoeUser Forums

Steven - the argument that many have (and I agree with to a large degree) is that "I don't care if you listen in on me. I'M NOT A CRIMINAL! I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO HIDE!" You do still have to respect the laws however, and that is my problem with all of this. Get a warrant from the FIS Court, and intercept to you heart's content for all I care. Listen to me if you want - I'm not a terrorist, and I have nothing to hide. But get the warrant

Reply to Here's PROOF Bush broke no law! in Politics JoeUser Forums

I've been waiting to weigh in on this for some time. I absolutely, positively hate (and I mean HATE) to do this, but I have to agree with COL. Bush poked the pooch on this one guys. I'm a former electronic intel guy, so I have a bit of first hand experience with this topic (disclosure statement, so you know where I'm coming from). I too have read through FISA, Executive Order 12333, and USSID 18 extensively, to make sure that I wasn't off t

Reply to Morgan Freeman and Racism in Current Events JoeUser Forums

I tend to agree with you Dr. Guy. I'm not an anthropological expert, but I would consider race to be based upon physical characteristics (i.e. skin color, hair type, facial structure, etc), and ethnicity to be more along the lines of what TARSIER is thinking of. French and Germans have different ethnicity, based upon their cultural and geographic backgrounds, but racially they would be the same in my mind... I agree that there are drastic di

Reply to Morgan Freeman and Racism in Current Events JoeUser Forums

This was only one example, and you are splitting hairs and missing the point. Sure, it isn't a required course for any program. My point is, why does the course exist at all? Why do we have a Black History Month? Why not a Jewish History Month? Why not an Asian History Month? Why not Gay History Month? My point is: by creating these division to seemingly recognize or honor specific minority groups, all we do is amplify recognition of difference

Morgan Freeman and Racism in Current Events JoeUser Forums

I watched part of 60 Minutes this evening, and they had a piece on Morgan Freeman. Among the issues he talked about, race and racism was discussed. In my opinion, Mr. Freeman has a GREAT perspective on race. You can check out the whole story here . Mr. Freeman recognizes that the wa