Best Traffic Jam Ever

This weekend, we drove to southwest Washington for Highway 103. Yay! The three month hiatus is over.

We had a bit of a late start, since we didn't tell Christina she was going with us till Saturday morning. So when we hit traffic in Fife and Tacoma, I figured it was just normal Tacoma I-5 traffic.

But the slowdown slowed down south of Tacoma. Near the Highway 512 interchange, it got even worse, so we exited and stopped at Dairy Queen for lunch. Good but pricy food, but we knew that. I only chose Dairy Queen because it was to the right and everyone else was trying to turn left.

When we finished lunch and tried to get back on I-5 south, traffic was inching along. I think it took a full half hour to make our way down the on-ramp.

In that time, however, I spotted numerous people sitting in the McDonald's parking lot. Were they just watching the traffic jam, waiting for it to clear out before getting back in their cars? Nope.

Blackhawk helicopters roar overhead, troops dangling their feet out the side doors. An Apache helicopter circles the area. Some fighter jets do maneuvers in the distance, above McChord Air Force Base.

It was the annual air show.

While we still sat on the on-ramp, two giant airplanes appear on the horizon: C-5 Galaxys. Huge airplanes, seemingly moving very slowly through the air. A third one follows, lumbering toward us.

Low over the air field, a dozen paratroopers leap out. "Look! The plane is pooping people!" Their parachutes open instantly and gently they float down.

The trio of Galaxys circle the area, performing a couple more flybys. They bank hard, wings tilted at a 45-degree angle, and it's more impressive than anything the fighters can do.

Eventually we get on I-5 and merge into traffic. Once we pass the McChord exit, we resume speed and continue our trip. But that was certainly the best traffic jam ever. Great seats for the air show!

Quote of the Day

From Red vs Blue, Season 3:

Captain Flowers: Men, your delightful tomfoolery puts a spring in my step and a bounce in my britches. If I weren't your commanding officer, I'd pick you both up and give you giant bearhugs and make you call me Daddy.

Private Church: Ummm. Thank God for the chain of command?

Go Texas!

Today's San Jacinto Day, celebrating the whupping of the Mexican army by the good ol' boys of Texas, way back in 1836. Yee-haw!



Houston retreated from the Mexican army for days, until on April 21, Santa Anna had the Texians cornered between Buffalo Bayou and the San Jacinto River.

Here's the moment of attack, from the oft-true Wikipedia:

The Texan army moved quickly and silently across the high-grass plain, and then, when they were only a few dozen yards away, charged Santa Anna's camp shouting "Remember the Alamo!" and "Remember Goliad!," only stopping a few yards from the Mexicans to open fire. The Texans achieved complete surprise. It was a bold attack in broad daylight but its success can be attributed in good part to Santa Anna's failure to post guards during the army's siesta. Santa Anna's army primarily consisted of professional soldiers, but they were trained to fight in ranks, exchanging volleys with their opponents. The Mexicans were ill-prepared and unarmed at the time of the sudden attack. Most were asleep with their soldaderas, some were out gathering wood and the cavalrymen were riding bareback fetching water. General Manuel Fernández Castrillón desperately tried to mount a semblance of an organized resistance, but was soon shot down and killed. His panicked men and women fled, and Santa Anna's defensive line quickly collapsed.

Sneak attack in broad daylight! What will those Texans think of next?

Gaza

I applaud Israel on their restraint in the current conflict with Hamas. It is not time to use nuclear weapons . . . yet.

Semi-Connected Thoughts

Why don't we just annex Mexico and Canada, already? We can fit 92 stars on our flag without too much difficulty.



We're too content within our borders. Just like the fall of the Roman Empire, we're doomed unless we shrug off the shackles of contentment. Bread and circuses, remember?

China is the new America. They have the fastest growing car culture in the world. They have the fastest growing Christian population in the world.

If the USA wants to remain the biggest, baddest, best country in the world, we need to kick ourselves into high gear. What have you done lately to save our civilization?

At least we'll have the fall of Europe as a wake-up call. I fear it may be too late, however.

Oh, and let's colonize Mars. Send the Marines now! They're begging to go.

Another Day in Victoria

Slowly but slowly, I'm posting photos from our trip to Victoria three weeks ago.

On our second day there, we drove west of town. Our first stop was Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse.

The view from the fortifications:

Two roads diverged in a field, and we took the one that was exactly the same as the other.

The lighthouse tower was locked. This is a view up through the grating:

Actually, we were there on the day of the yearly maintenance. I considered asking the workers if I could go up for a photo or two, but then I decided I shouldn't impose.

The big rocks of Fisgard Island:

Look out! It's the Canadian Navy!

I've posted more photos at flickr. And I don't think I'm halfway through with the trip yet. . .

Don't Submit!

There are people out there who despise the American way of life. They long for simpler times when life wasn't so complicated. These times never truly existed in history, but that doesn't stop them from fantasizing.

These people fall into two categories: hippies and Islamists.

Hippies, I can deal with. They don't want to kill me.

The Islamists, on the other hand, plan on killing each and every one of us, if we don't meekly obey their every command. They want a world-wide theocracy. It's how they expect to reach salvation. It's for their religion. It's from their religion. And if anyone gets in their way, the Koran tells the Islamists to kill the infidels.

And so they do.

Our only options are to surrender and to fight. Anything half-and-half would be detrimental. Either give up and most of us get to live (in slavery, more or less), or fight and stay free.

Which would you choose?

I say fight. Some will die, true, but at least they'll know in their hearts they sacrificed themselves for the lives and freedom of their loved ones. In our current wishy-washy, half-submit, half-fight scenario, our soldiers don't know if their sacrifices will be worth it. They don't know if our government will surrender before the job is done, and so our soldiers worry for their loved ones, uncertain of the future.

Our future should be clear. We should never retreat. We should never surrender to the Islamists. We should never submit.

The sun came out, finally.

Sunset at Cape Disappointment, the mouth of the Columbia River, south of Long Beach, Saturday evening.


Still windy enough for kites, of course.

Before that, we visited Fort Columbia. It's on US 101, just before you get to the bridge to Oregon.

Pre-WWI battery that never was used, thankfully. They started upgrading it in WWII, but stopped before they installed the guns.

In 1993, the parks department shipped a pair of guns (of the WWII intended variety) over from Newfoundland.


Over the bridge in Astoria, it was a bit cloudy and rainy.

But we went to the top of the Astoria Column anyway.


The clouds lifted eventually so we could see across the river to Washington, but barely.

And here's one more of my beautiful wife, watching the sunset at Cape Disappointment.


The rest of Saturday's photos can be seen on flickr. This is but a small sampling. Trust me.

Quote of the Whatever

It's a bit crass, but it brings a smile every time...

From Red vs Blue, season 2:

DOC: I joined the army as a conscientious objector.

TUCKER: A consci-- who?

DOC: I'm a pacifist.

CABOOSE: You're a thing that babies suck on?

TUCKER: No, dude. That's a pedophile.

CHURCH: Tucker, I think he means a pacifier.

TUCKER: Oh, yeah. Right. Man, I was totally thinking about something else.

CHURCH: That's real classy, Tucker.

Liberals Need Someone to Listen

Women tend to be liberals and men tend to be conservatives.

When women complain, men often strive to find solutions to these problems. The women don't expect solutions, however, but instead only want to vent their frustrations.

Liberals complain about all sorts of things without proposing solutions. Conservatives have solutions for everything, right or wrong.

The next time liberals go off on something (Global Warming, the G***** W** on T*****, Bushitler, etc.), conservatives should just smile sympathetically and say, "I understand." The liberals don't really expect a solution from the conservatives. They just want to vent.

PS: I love you, Chunlin.

Feb 6 morning

Happy Waitangi Day! Lazily up and out by 8:30 or so. Breakfast in our room. Stopped -- meant to stop at Paraparaumu Beach -- at the next town down. I think the beach is all connected.

Wooded juniperish shoreline before the grass & sand reminds me of the Washington Coast. Big flat beach with cars on. Everybody's on holiday today! ... Drive drive drive. Back in sheep country. Green rolling hills.

Stopped at the Army Memorial Museum outside Waiouru, within sight of the Tongariro mountains. The Singaporean army has invaded. Ice cream costs 20% more. Happy Waitangi Day!

Now They Have Guns. It Must Be War.

Now the Mexican invaders are brandishing guns and overrunning border posts. And what did the National Guard stationed there do? Run away!

What kind of stupid policies are in effect that our guardsmen aren't allowed to guard our country? Isn't that what they're there for?

Or am I missing something?

(ht: Moonbattery and LGF)

I didn't write it. . . I just posted it.

Controversial statements for the sake of controversy, courtesy of IMAO's Frank J:

* It should be illegal for women to get abortions under any circumstances. Also, the federal government should be able to impregnate women whenever it feels like it.

* The only people who should pay taxes are the poor as punishment for how little they produce.

* Gays should be allowed to marry... if they promise to stop being gay.

* American Indians should be deported back to Russia.

* The only legitimate reason for war is a slow news cycle.

* Not only should all Americans be able to carry guns at all times, they must carry guns! Also, they must carry katanas because my country is not going to be a place vulnerable to ninja attacks.

* There should be a holiday to celebrate rich white men.

* The Jews are responsible for all wars... both real and those depicted in movies. Also, the Cola War is all about oil.

* Let's not say "genocide" like it's a bad thing.

* There's no time to check for papers; anyone Mexican-looking should be immediately deported... as well as anyone seen eating a burrito. Taco Bell employees should be deported as well.

* Instead of Iraq being controlled by different Islamic factions, the government should be handed over to the Scientologists.

* Maybe Bush should be more like Hitler.

* In order to moderate Islamic beliefs, all us critics must first convert to Islam.

* I'm glad the Crocodile Hunter is dead.

With a good addition in the comments by Remulak MoxArgon:

*A "Hot Chicks Only" immigration policy.

Do the Invaders Have to Carry Weapons for It to Be War?

If you needed more proof that the Mexican government is promoting and aiding the invasion of the United States by Mexican citizens, look no further.

Mexico is giving the invaders (ahem. . . illegal immigrants) satellite devices so they can call for help if caught in bad weather. Apparently the Mexican government's pamphlet on how to cross the border safely wasn't working well enough.

Can we please defend our border? Pretty please with sugar on top? Just a few soldiers. . .

Cut and Run Now!!

I approve of the immediate withdrawl of American forces from Iraq, just so long as we allow the military to topple one or more neighboring dictatorships on their way home.

The two biggest problems with retreating from Iraq are the incredible chaos that will ensue and the worldwide view that the United States is weak.

But, if we destroy the Iranian, Saudi, and Syrian governments (this should only take a week or two, maybe a month), and then bring all the troops back to America, at least the second problem would be alleviated.

The US military isn't made for peacekeeping and nation-building. It's designed for killing and destroying. Do you use a steak knife to feed a cow? No. So let's use the military for its intended purpose.

As for the first problem mentioned above, Iraq is in moderate chaos at the moment because the neighboring dictatorships are jockeying for position to take Iraq as a puppet state. The Saudi royals are fueling the Sunni insurgency and the Iranian mullahs are paying for the Shiite insurgency (counter-insurgency?).

If we give the Saudis and Iranians enough trouble at home, then those countries won't have time or money to waste on their Mesopotamian neighbors. They'll be fighting for their own countries' futures. And thus Iraqi will be free to live peacefully and everybody will agree that the United States is the most powerful and best nation on the planet.

News from Thailand

The Thai military is having some problems with their coup d'etat, but not the kind you'd expect.

Last week they required their soldiers to smile. This week, Thais and tourists have been taking pictures of the soldiers and tanks, posing for pictures with them, and dancing for them.

The leaders ruled that tourists are "no longer permitted to handle weapons when posing for photographs with troops still deployed in Bangkok." Makes good sense, I think.

Thai go-go dancers entertained the troops on Monday, but today, the military leaders ruled that such provocative dancing is "not appropriate."

And the best line from the article? It comes from Lt. Gen. Palangoon Klaharn, a military spokesman: "We have to maintain the seriousness of the coup."

What if we had a coup and nobody cared? Party on!

Here are the dancers who provoked this ruling:

Go, Owls!

I sure hope that Rice University athletics didn't pass over some really good African-American coach just because of the color of his skin. Because the current coach's win-loss record isn't any better than a sack of rocks'. 0 and 4.

Their last two games, they lost by a combined score of 107-14. But that was against Texas and Florida State. I sure hope the college got plenty of money for those butt-kickings.

Maybe Rice will be able to beat Army next week. Or at least Tulane the week after. When comparing Rice and Tulane's only opponent in common so far this year, U of Houston, Rice should be able to beat Tulane 42-7 or so.

Actually, Rice's problem is that, unlike the other bottom-barrel C-USA teams, Rice isn't playing Division I-AA opponents to get a win under their belt. No Hofstra or Chattanooga to smack around.

. . . The money from the big schools had better be worth it, really.

Uh oh

Bad news from Thailand. The military just coup-d'etated the government.

Thailand's army commander ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a military coup Tuesday night while he was in New York, circling his offices with tanks, declaring martial law and revoking the constitution. A military spokesman said army Commander-in-Chief Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin would be acting prime minister.

Sondhi, a Muslim in this Buddhist-dominated country, is known to be close to Thailand's revered monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Thailand was one of the few improving democracies in the region. I hope they can get out of this mess.

Baghdad Jim

Three weeks ago, the House of Representatives passed a resolution (HR 921) which supported Israel's right to defend itself against its enemies (Hezbollah, Hamas). I noticed that my representative (who I would never vote for) voted against the resolution. He was one of eight "no" votes.

So I asked him why.

He finally responded today. Here is his reply, in full:

Dear Mark:

Thank you for your recent communication regarding the conflict between Israel and the terrorist forces of Hezbollah and Hamas. These attacks make it even more urgent for our government to pursue an even-handed foreign policy in the Middle East, a goal that has yet to be embraced by the House of Representatives.

Recently, the House voted to pass House Resolution 921, which guaranteed American support for Israeli military action anywhere in the Middle East. One clause in the resolution said that we "support Israel's right to take appropriate action to defend itself, including to conduct operations both in Israel and in the territory of nations which pose a threat to it." I have unwavering support for Israel, its safety, security and right to exist, but I also know from experience how this kind of language can be interpreted. I voted against this bill because it is a blank check that could include such rash actions as a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

A resolution in the House of Representatives will not change what the world already knows about U.S. support for Israel's right to exist, but it might encourage what the world already fears: a wider war with greater casualties, undermining fragile but crucial support for Israel among Arab nations, and further endangering Israelis and other innocent civilians across the region.

As rockets continue to kill innocent civilians in both Southern Lebanon and Israel, lasting peace in the Middle East might seem like a pipe dream. The United States, however, cannot sit idly by and condone further killing on both sides of this conflict. At the recent talks in Rome, American diplomats failed to support a cease-fire proposal that was supported by the majority of the 15 other nations participating in the talks.

It is with this in mind that I have signed on to co-sponsor H. Con. Res. 450 calling for an immediate cessation of violence. We must use our influence as the world's only superpower to foster peace in the world's most violent regions.

Thank you for writing and I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind as the 109th Congress continues.

Sincerely,
Jim McDermott
Member of Congress

Maybe I should ask him what he thinks of Frank J's proposal.

Nah. Here's the response I sent him:

In the world, there are good guys and there are bad guys. Do not treat democratic, free nations as equal to repressive, theocratic regimes. If you truly want peace in the world, you must defeat the bad guys. Otherwise, we're just their dhimmis, bowing our heads till they chop them off.

Mark Knoke

Israel Caves In

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in a speech earlier this week, "One more suicide bombing and I'll give them whatever they want." If the Palestinians don't end their terrorist attacks, "whether outside a popular nightclub in Haifa or in a crowded marketplace in Be'er Sheva," then the Israelis will just have to pack up and leave. "Even as I speak, the full might of the Israeli military is standing by to surrender should another suicide bombing occur."

Call me a cynic, but this doesn't ring quite true. Maybe I should check my source. The Onion is a reliable news organization, right?