On Wednesday the Essex ESG will arrive off Myanmar, but there is no indication they will be allowed to offer assistance. By this weekend, the world will have a better sense regarding the level of crisis fallout in Myanmar, but that also marks the arrival of very bad weather. If a massive humanitarian crisis continues to get worse, and the news reporting right now continues to highlight that as very much possible, it will be very interesting to see how public perception develops. Depending upon how fast the death toll rises, it may be that in 2 weeks, when the Peleliu arrives off the coast of Myanmar with the Hospital Ship Mercy, public opinion could be very different than it is now regarding the crisis, and a military response may be something the entire international community calls for. With Cobra Gold completed by then, we observe the US Navy could have 2 Carrier Strike Groups and 2 Expeditionary Strike Groups, with at least 13,000 Marines ready to take action in Myanmar.
We blow into town, set up our medical gear and do a rapid-fire look-see at 700+ locals. Meanwhile, US Navy Seabees have been in town for over a month, doing what they do best: building things.
While we were treating patients, they were recognized with photos and a nice dedication ceremony.
Shot of the school:
Just outside the school:
As predicted, monsoon season seems to have arrived early. It's been raining nearly nonstop for a couple days now. As part of the fun, some of us spend the day entering data from every patient report into a system that uploads it, via satellite, to a computer in New Hampshire. It's not as cool as it sounds. The idea is to build a database for humanitarian and relief efforts. My guess is that the data will also be made available to medical types studying health trends in remote areas.
It was raining while we did this:
But it made the flowers look pretty:
That's it for now. It's late and the evening's travel was very trying. More on that tomorrow.
Not because it was easier (it was...we're getting better at this), or cooler (it was, the clouds were nice), or the food was better (it definately was!). It was much prettier! Here's a shot from the drive there:
Actually, it's a bit late and i don't have much time for posting, so i'll just throw up a few photos of the site. This is the school in the morning while the crowd was building:
Just across the street was a beautiful bridge over a small river with a Buddhist temple alongside:
Looking down the river in the other direction:
Just behind the school:
In case you were wondering, besides the help we give to humans, this is the first Cobra Gold where we have veterinarians as part of the team. In these very rural areas, animals/pets/livestock are nearly as important as the human family members:
This is a shot of a rubber tree with the bark scored and set up so that the sap will run into a container:
That's it for today. Got to get to bed for another big day tomorrow.
After a much needed day of rest, today was day one of four straight MEDCAP days. By the afternoon, we'd seen a total of 709 patients.
The agricultural area around Korat, site of our first MEDCAP is almost entirely rice and some fruit. Down here it's (as far as i can tell) entirely coconut and rubber trees. Thousands and thousands of acres of rubber trees. Here's some immature trees, not yet ready to be tapped:
We stopped at the local university to pick up our interpreters (all students in the tourism school) then headed to the village school where we spent the day.
I was in dental again today--hopefully the last day for a bit. This is a photo of the dental team:
During the course of the day, after i'd avoided it as long as i could without looking like a total wuss, i got to pull a couple teeth--under very close supervision of course. Now, even if i wanted to, i'll probably never get another chance to do this again, outside of another Humanitarian Assistance mission. It's the kind of dental training that's just not easy to come by.
Here's your humble narrator getting busy on a molar:
Besides the one above, which came out easily btw, i also got to pull a lower wisdom tooth which did not come out easily. Yes, it was educational. No, i don't see a future for myself in dentistry. No thank you. I'll deal with broken bones, head trauma and lots of blood, but teeth are not my thing.
It's a quiet night in for me tonight. Busy day again tomorrow. Here's some entertainment:
Cobra Gold, 2008: Enough touristy stuff, time for some military blogging!
After a couple days to get rested up, aclimated to the heat and humidity and generally prepared for the mission, yesterday was the first MEDCAP (Medical Civic Action Project).
This one was at the school in a small village about a half hour's drive from Korat:
Here's your humble narrator on the comfortable, air conditioned bus ride to the site:
First thing was a quick briefing on the plan by our OIC (Officer In Charge):
Next came the unloading of gear and supplies. Since we will be in different locations very day, this will be a daily routine.
The different stations were set up. They include triage (initial screening and the busiest place), general medical, optical, dental and pharmacy. I was assigned to dental for the day, so here's us getting set up:
Being the first day, things were a bit confused at the start. This is understandable, as it was the first day most of us had ever worked together, and the first time most of us had been on a mission like this. During our setup, the crowd was getting large:
By about 8:30, dental was ready to start seeing our first patients:
Needless to say, this little guy was not having a good time, but will probably feel much better when it's done.
Until we were done at around 3 pm, we saw over 600 (correction: 860) patients between all the stations. At dental, we treated 41 people; the youngest was the four-year old in the photo above and the oldest was in his 80s. In all, we pulled 62 teeth. If you've ever suffered from really bad teeth, you'll understand that this alone probably provided more physical relief than anything else done at these MEDCAPs.
Optical handed out hundreds of pairs of free glasses, thanks to a program of the Lions Club, who collects and donates thousands and thousands of pairs of used glasses all over the world. If you ever wonder what to do with those old glasses of yours, contact your local Lions Club to donate them. Trust me, they are very much appreciated!
After it was done it was time to pack all the gear back up and head to the Thailand Air Force base in Korat. There, all the gear was loaded into two US Marines C-130's for the flight down to Surat Thani.
After our gear was loaded, we climbed into one of the planes and eagerly waited for them to turn on the engines so that the air conditioning would cool down the hotbox that is the inside of a C-130 in Thailand. Here's your humble narrator after a hot day of work, sitting inside the broiling plane:
Finally, the plane (and more importantly, the AC) came to life and we took of for the 1 1/2 hour flight south.
Some tired Marines taking advantage of the down-time:
Upon landing, the gear had to be unloaded from the planes and loaded back into a truck. Then it was a short drive to our hotel, which is much, much nicer than the one in Korat. This one was a very nice pool, which i'll be enjoying as soon as i'm done with this post. You see, i put this stuff out there before i take care of my own personal comfort.
Because i care.
Before i go take that refreshing dip, let me just say one thing about the differences i've noticed in the reserves medical community that i really like. There has been a very disturbing debate in the Navy these past few years about making everyone feel like Sailors. They came up with the "Sailor's Creed" back in 1993 to have something that every recruit in bootcamp could repeat daily. It was supposed to build some kind of esprit de corps, but in really just sounds silly.
Apparently a lot of fuss has recently begun because a bunch of SWO (Surface Warfare Officer) JOs (Junior Officers) didn't really feel like "sailors" when that term was used and actually had the gall to be public about it.
For those who don't know, SWOs are the title of the officers that man the ships of the Navy, hence Surface warfare. They are a community of their own, separate from the other officers corps/communities like aviation, supply, medical, etc. They command ships at sea and it certainly ain't the easiest job in the world; however, one of their traditions that is a hold-over from the old Royal Navy days is the class/caste system they use to divide themselves from the enlisted ranks.
Of course, there will always be a division between officers and enlisted. We could debate the usefulness of this forever, but the military is the military. But, the SWO community takes it to an obnoxious level, especially on the larger ships.
Last night, when we were loading and unloading our gear, everyone worked. Right beside the enlisted folks were every one of the officers, including four or five Captains! Busting their asses just as much as everyone.
Now, for those who've ever served on a ship, that's enough to make your eyeballs pop out! A full-bird Captain humping boxes? Are you kidding me? On ships there are frequent working parties, usually when supplies are onloaded, that can go on for hours. Let's just say it isn't the most enjoyable part of shipboard life. Long lines of sailors passing boxes, bags, etc. down into to ship. You can serve on ships for years and never see a single officer lift a finger to help out. Never. Ever.
The only real exception to this is when some boot Ensign does what comes natural and tries to help, but he'll be quickly chewed out by the first experienced officer who catches him.
But in our community, everybody works and it's a wonderful thing to be a part of.
So here's some free advice for anyone out there who wants to be a Navy officer or who has recently become one: If you really want to build esprit de corps and instill a sense of pride and fellowship, forget that stupid "creed" and just roll up your sleeves and help out with the hard work now and then. Trust me, it will be noticed and appreciated and you'll be much more respected by your sailors because of it.
So no, to answer the concerns of those whiny JOs who didn't think they were sailors, most of us real sailors (you know, the kind who work) don't consider you to be one of us either.
Cobra Gold, 2008: Lots of culture and beauty (lots of photos below).
Today is my first full day here in Thailand and having caught up on sleep it was a great day to be a tourist.
The Thai adventure really started last night with a big group of us going out to a big seafood restaurant. Nothing like really fresh seafood to get you into the Thai spirit:
No, i didn't try the horseshoe crab. I went with the very large prawns and an even larger beer:
The first stop after a 45 minute drive out of Korat was at Ban Prasat. To be honest, i don't know much about it other than it consists of three large archaeological pits dug into ancient burial mounds. This is an agricultural (mostly rice) village that has been occupied continuously for thousands of years. Most of the homes are quite rustic (shacks really), with the occasional very nice house mixed in:
It was kinda weird seeing the two types of home right next to each other.
The digs themselves were quite large and presented well for our viewing. They date back from 600 to 3,000 years old.
In the same village that surrounds the site we got a good demonstration of where silk comes from:
Yep, those are silkworms. The family whose shop we visited grow the worms (actually catapillars), and harvest the silk, then dye and hand-weave it into beautiful cloth. Here's what the silkworm cacoons look like at harvest:
After leaving Ban Prasat we headed to the Phimai Historical Park to see one of the most amazing things i've ever seen!
Phimai is about 1,000 years old and is considered one of the most important sites from the ancient Khmer Kingdom. The temple complex is just part of a much larger walled city, with sites very spread out. We just visited the temple complex.
The temples closely resemble the more well-known Angkor Wat in Cambodia, because it was contemporary with it and made up the west end of the ancient Angkor road. Major restorations began in the late 1960s and continue to this day. That's about all i have to say about it, so i'll just show a bunch of photos.
In the photo of the Buddha above, the small garland is fresh jasmine flowers and smells wonderful. They are sold everywhere and people use them for a variety of things, most commonly hung from the rear-view mirrors in cars. I love them.
Last, a photo of your humble scribe:
That's about it for today. We have an "icebreaker" in a half hour with the rest of the Cobra Gold team, then it's early to bed 'cause tomorrow starts at 5 am. We'll be at our first "MEDCAP" (Medical Civil Action Project), where we'll start seeing patients. That evening, we'll load all our gear in an Air Force C-130, then fly down to Southern Thailand for five days.
Yes, it's going to be a very long day. Posting may not be possible, but i'll get something up as soon as i can.
The longest travel day EVER! Sit on the tarmac at Redmond, Oregon waiting for the plane to be "re-booted" to see if the cabin comm system will start working; take off at 8 am, fly two and a half hours to San Francisco; wait nearly three hours for next flight; fly 10.5 hours to Tokyo, Japan; wait another two hours; fly six hours to Bangkok; wait nearly three hours for the bus to take us to Khorat; ride bus nearly four hours to Khorat, arriving just after dawn two days later (thanks to the dateline).
Ugh.
The hotel is "rustic" at best, but i'm not going to complain. The authentic Thai breakfast (which was remarkably like a Thai lunch) was very, very yummy and the room has good air conditioning. The entire MEDCAP team is here, and i have my own room. Life is good.
The greeting banner was nice too, but as is the norm, some things are lost in translation:
Driving through the country this morning was striking. Besides the tropical climate and scenery, i was struck by just how different EVERYTHING is. There ain't nothing subtle about Thailand. The countryside looks like every Vietnam movie i've ever seen. Of course, considering that nearly all of them were filmed in Thailand that makes sense.
One of the things i've been enjoying is the shops, stands and carts everywhere. On the side of the highway, streets, porches, alleys, etc. It seems that nearly everyone is making and selling something.
And the smells! Man, there are so many food booths, stands and carts that you can't go anywhere without drooling all over yourself, thanks to the variety of great foods being cooked all around you.
After checking in and having some breakfast, i took a short walk around the immediate neighborhood. The flowers were beautiful:
Some of the houses were decorated very nicely:
And the streets were full of activity:
Another thing about Thailand, dogs run wild everywhere, though most seem nice:
Thailand is called the "Land of Smiles", and i can see why. When walking through these local neighborhoods (and this certainly is not a tourist area), i certainly stand out as a stranger. As would be expected, i get some very wary looks; however, as soon as i smile at them, they return with big, beaming smiles that seem to disolve all the awkwardness. It's very nice, but i think my face is going to cramp up pretty soon.
Anyhoo, that's about it for now. Just one more thing: If you ever find yourself on a long layover in Narita Airport in Tokyo, go to the "comfort station" for a nice, refreshing shower. It's just five dollars (or 500 Yen) for a half hour in a very nice, private shower room. It's just about as civilized as you can get and makes me really appreciate Japan.
I'm sitting at the Redmond, Oregon airport waiting for my delayed flight to San Francisco. It's the beginning of the full day of travel that will end up in Bangkok, Thailand around midnight tomorrow (thanks to the date-line). From there, i'll get on a bus with other military types and travel about four hours to Khorat.
The "mission" will take us all over the country during the next two weeks. After all that is over, i'm taking an extra week there just for fun. Not sure where i'll spend that week, but it'll probably be somewhere in the Phuket area.
I'll be posting photos and updates as often as time allows. Check back often!
Skiers and snowboarders with any experience know that occasionally your gear needs a bit of adjustment. Screws come loose, straps break, etc. If you ski a lot, you need to check your gear regularly.
Snowboarders especially need to do this. In fact, ALL 'boarders who own their own gear should carry a small multi-tool for those occasional screw-tightenings and strap adjustments. Tools like the one here are very small, versatile and fit in any pocket. When i was a rider, i always had one because i used it frequently.
As a pro ski patroller who is quickly getting to the point where i've seen nearly everything, i have absolutely no respect whatsoever for any so-called experienced rider who doesn't carry a tool.
Be that as it may.
If you, dear reader, should ever find yourself in need of adjustment and don't happen to have your own tool on your person, you can often find toolbenches located at the top and/or bottom of various ski lifts. If you don't find a tool bench and feel the need to ask Ski Patrol to borrow one of their tools, by all means...BE POLITE AND ASK NICELY!!
Yesterday, whilst sitting bump at the summit patrol shack, one person knocked on the door, stepped in and asked very nicely if we had a pair of pliers he could borrow. Because he was polite, i searched through our "tool box" and found one he could use. No problem. Happy to help.
About a half hour later, another person opened the door and declared, "I need a flathead and phillips screwdriver."
Just like that.
Me: "What's the problem?"
Him: "I'm using a borrowed pair of skis that i didn't adjust." (this, after he'd ridden two lifts to the summit)
M: "and this is my problem...how?"
H: "Hey man, I just need to use some tools." (looking at my Leatherman that i carry on my patrol vest)
M: "Sorry, we don't have loaner tools up here. I suggest you download the lift so that you can use the publicly available tools at the bottom."
H: "Man, i came here to ski, not to ride the lifts down."
M: "Well, it seems to me that, having failed to adjust your gear before coming up to the summit, you weren't that serious about skiing now were you. Get on the lift and ride down. Use the workbench that's been helpfully provided at the bottom, or walk down."
H: "Are you going to come pick me up when i blow up on the run down?!"
M: "If you knowingly ski down with deffective gear and it fails...well, if you're hurt, sure, we'll come get you. If not, you can enjoy this lovely spring day with a nice long walk down the mountain."
H: "Hey, you guys don't have tools up here for us to use!"
M: "Exactly what about this red jacket with the big white cross says, 'ski repair man'? You can't be bothered to adjust your gear before coming to the summit, that's your problem. We don't run a tool-loaning shack. Good luck."
Or at least that's how i remember it. His version may vary.
To sum up...a little politeness goes a long way when you're asking for a favor. A little rudeness can result in a long, long walk down the hill.
"I ski a bunch, so I must know more than you guys with the crosses."
Last week, after busting our asses to get the summit open on a morning that unexpectedly opened with clear blue skies and fresh snow, i happened to be the patroller who showed up at the bottom of the summit lift when it was time to open it to the public.
We had only a trace of new snow, but it came with a lot of wind that transported it to some leeward slopes. This "wind-loading" is the most common way that avalanche hazards are produced within our ski area. It doesn't take much new snow (or any, for that matter), just a bunch of wind. One thing our ski hill has in abundance is WIND.
So we'd done a couple of our standard summit routes, thrown a few bombs and gotten our catch-lines set up. With all this, we managed to get the summit lift open about an hour and a half after the lower lifts opened.
It was a beautiful spring day and the first day on the summit for quite a while. I was pulling the rope lines and closed signs at the lift when i had this brief verbal exchange with a "guest":
Guest: "Hey, can I ask you something?"
Me: "Sure."
G: "How come they only reported a trace of new snow when there was six inches of new?" (Remember, we only had a trace of new snow. Anyone with half a brain could see this.)
M: "Six inches? (looking around at the surroundings with exagerations) I don't know where you've been skiing, but there ain't no six inches."
G: "Me an my buddy were up to our boot-tops."
M: "Maybe some places. You see, we get lots of wind that tends to move our snow around a bit, depositing it here and there."
G: "Well, if there was only a trace, why were you guys up there blowing it up?"
M: "Erm...didn't i just mention the wind?"
G: Something i forgot. I'd really quit paying much attention at this point. This guy was clearly an asshole.
M: "Look, before you keep talking shit to me, maybe you should actually learn a little bit about how snow works."
G: "Maybe you guys should learn to ski cut so you don't have to waste our time while you play with explosives." (yes, he really said that)
M: "I'm out!" (at which point i left, realizing that not only would it be a COMPLETE waste of time continuing this conversation, but there was really nothing i could do at this point that would have made this guy's day significantly worse)
So, in honor of this dumbass, i have a few photos from another day, a bit later. Here's a patroller ski cutting below The Nose. I made the first cut, he was the third. Notice the cool, whispy clouds above the summit:
After the cutting was done, we got to ski the fresh pow. I truly, seriously hope that dickhead from the above conversation was noticing our tracks and fuming about how us patrollers, who don't know how to ski cut, were stealing his lines:
Finally, here's another shot of the really trippy clouds above the summit:
Maybe someday i'll ride up on the "guest" above after he hurts himself, so he can tell me how i need to learn to splint a leg.
Because, you know, if you ski a certain number of days you automatically become an expert on all things.
I suppose that, this being a "quasi-/wannabe-/occasional-military" blog, as well as an Outdoors blog, i am supposed to comment on the 10-hour series on PBS called, "Carrier".
I mean, everyone else is.
Anyhoo, it's alright i guess. As is nearly ALWAYS the case, all they seem to cover is the flight operations and those that participate in them. Never mind the 3-4,000 other sailors on the ship. What about the engineers, deck-apes, navigators (Quartermasters)? What about the freakin' Corpsmen?! The ship does actually have a full, working hospital but you'd never know it.
So there's that.
Also, they picked some really motivated pilots to follow. The Command Master Chief is very seriously gung-ho and the Commanding Officer is very C.O.-ish. But it seems that nearly everyone else they talk to really does whine a lot. Oh sure, "a bitching sailor is a happy sailor" and all that, but if you didn't know better you'd think that nearly everyone on that ship hates being there.
Personally, watching this series and the incredible photography reminded me of two things: I absolutely loved being at sea. I also absolutely hated the BS that comes with Navy shipboard life. That Command Master Chief is the perfect example of the type of gung-ho dickhead that bothered me the most. Every time people like him called me "shipmate" i wanted to scream.
Let me also state that in my own experience the CMC's that i've encountered have been excellent people. The gung-ho "shipmate" types i've encountered rarely seemed to reach that level. I dunno, maybe it's because they really weren't so much interested in helping sailors as they were in f***ing with them.
All in all, i'd recommend the series for the fantastic photography and the unedited look at the rougher side of shipboard life. Check out the website, too. It's got some good stuff and if you've missed the series, they have full episodes online.
Since it's been quite a while since i've done any regular posting, i thought i'd take the opportunity to catch up a bit with some news and links.
First, some skiing news: On my way to Navy drill weekend last week, i thought i'd take the scenic route through Mt. Hood and do some skiing at my old stomping grounds, Timberline Lodge. They have a new lift in that is supposed to open up a bunch of new intermediate terrain:
Unfortunately, what it really offers is more of the same flat beginner trails with just a few short, relatively steep shots. The worst part is that most of the good gullies are roped off because of open creeks flowing at their bottoms. I feel sorry for the patrollers who have to deal with those rope lines.
Still, they have a very impressive base, at 238 inches. That's nearly 20 feet deep! At my hill, we have an impressive 170 inches, which is still very impressive (especially at this time of year, when it is usually melting down), but Timberline over five feet more. This is what it looks like:
Yes, that's a two-story house under there. It's a Boy Scout retreat inside the ski area that i've never seen covered that deep. Luckily, they built that entry tower to let them inside. I'm guessing they've seen snow this deep before.
For those who like skiing in the summer, T-line should have a great season this year!
Cobra Gold 2008 is coming in less than two weeks. I'll be heading to Thailand on May 4 and meeting up with the rest of the MEDCAP (Medical Civil Action Program) team, which includes officers and enlisted members of American, Thai, Japanese and Singapore militaries.
We'll spend two weeks travelling to sites pretty much all over Thailand providing medical, dental and optical care entirely in small, remote villages. Each day for lunch, we'll be fed by the locals. There will be various ceremonies 'n stuff, but mostly providing medical care for around a thousand people a day.
After the mission is over, i'm planning to stay in Thailand for an extra week or so to relax and enjoy some quiet and the beautiful scenery. I'll figure out the details when i'm there.
I'm not sure if i'll be able to post much during the mission, but i'll certainly take lots of photos and have plenty of stuff to report upon my return.
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In other Navy news, there's a couple great new links i'd like to tell you about:
The USS Russell (DDG-59) is currently well into a scheduled deployment to the West Pacific, Indian Ocean and points between and around. The Executive Officer (XO) and other contributors have begun an officially sanctioned blog that covers their travels, duties, jobs and other interesting things that involve a modern Guided Missle Destroyer on deployment. It's damn interesting reading. Check it out at:
For a more humorous take on Navy life, the animated series Hey Shipwreck delves deep into the complex goings-on of a couple watch-standers on a pier-side mid-watch in the Navy of "the future". Some of the humor is probably hard to get if you've never actually experienced the unique joys of in-port mid-watches, but it's worth it anyway. Here's an episode from season one (note that the officer is the robot):
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One more link to tell you about. This one combines two of my favorite things: camping and cooking. Yep, it's a website that specializes in "outdoor cookware". How cool is that? Check it out at:
Seriously, i'm over this. It's time for spring skiing, when i get to just wear a comfortable fleece and ladies wear bikini tops. Corn snow and impressive goggle tans.
Yes, it's been quite a while since my last post, but as regular readers of this site know by now, that tends to happen at the end of the seasons. If not, posts would just get repetitive.
The good news is that i have lots to post on and with the ski season slowing down (even with the winter-like conditions), i'm starting to have the time to do it.
The Navy cruiser Lake Erie successfully shot down a malfunctioning spy satellite Wednesday night over the Pacific Ocean.
At 10:26 p.m. EST the Lake Erie fired a Standard Missile-3 at 133 nautical miles over the Pacific Ocean, according to the Pentagon. The SM-3 traveled at approximately 17,000 mph, a Defense Department statement said.
The objective of the shot was to take out the satellite’s fuel tank which contains about 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel that could pose a danger to people if it hit land, the DoD release noted.
Confirmation that the fuel tank was hit should be available in 24 hours, according to the Pentagon. The debris from the satellite will begin to re-enter the atmosphere immediately, the Pentagon said.
“Nearly all of the debris will burn up on reentry within 24-48 hours and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days,” the DoD statement said.
The destroyers Decatur and Russell also took part in the engagement, providing long range surveillance and tracking, the Pentagon noted.
Back when i was an active duty sailor, i was stationed for nearly four years on a sister-ship to the Lake Erie, the USS Antietam (CG 54).
I know from that experience that evolutions of this type are a lot of work, but the crew has to be very proud of this achievement. There should be a very nice unit citation in it for them as well.
Also, this is the type of thing that our current and potential enemies will take note of. This is the type of thing that we are now capable of doing. When you can use a mobile platform such as a ship to shoot down a satellite still in orbit, it kinda gives you a bit more street cred.
I bet they've already made t-shirts 'n stuff.
Update: Of course, this couldn't happen without the usual suspects saying the usual, expected things. Lileks has this to say about them:
Cowboy of Space! It’s either a badly translated Japanese 50s sci-fi movie or a badly translated Steve Miller song. I speak of the PomPOTUS of Love. The Mail notes that China shot down a satellite recently, and quotes a fellow whose lengthy credentials surely indicate the presence of lofty Olympian impartiality:
“But space and security experts claimed yesterday that Mr Bush's decision was more about showing Russia and China what the U.S. was capable of, rather than preventing danger to life and limb.
“Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer with the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, called the move "regrettable". And in a jibe aimed at the President he said: "Clearly someone in the administration who has the instincts of a cowboy has decided this is the perfect excuse to rattle our sabres and show the Chinese that we have the same capabilities."
Noted: it’s provocative to show the Chinese we can do what they did. Because if we didn't do it, they would stop doing it too. Human nature teaches us that unanswered assertions are always met with chastened withdrawl, after all.
Dr. McDowell’s webpage is here. His personal politics are here. He’s a Green party member, among other things. So put down the Greens in favor of satellites with poisonous fuel hitting the Earth, I guess. I know it's a bit much for a news story to note that the scientist quoted might have pre-existing ideological precepts that colored his evaluation, but gosh, it would be easier if they'd google a bit and save us the trouble.
Meanwhile, US Navy Seabees have been in town for over a month, doing what they do best: building things.
Snowboarders especially need to do this. In fact, ALL 'boarders who own their own gear should carry a small multi-tool for those occasional screw-tightenings and strap adjustments. Tools like the one here are very small, versatile and fit in any pocket. When i was a rider, i always had one because i used it frequently.
Cobra Gold 2008 is coming in less than two weeks. I'll be heading to Thailand on May 4 and meeting up with the rest of the MEDCAP (Medical Civil Action Program) team, which includes officers and enlisted members of American, Thai, Japanese and Singapore militaries.
