Author: TSO

First, the IVAW release:

IVAW learned this morning that PFC Naser Abdo was arrested yesterday in Killeen, TX, and is being investigated by the FBI on charges of possessing firearms and bomb-making materials.

Abdo is not now and has never been a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

In August 2010, IVAW supported his application for Conscientious Objector status to reflect our commitment to protecting G.I. Rights for all service members and access to a fair C.O. application process in accordance with Army Regulation 600-43 and DoD Directive 1300.06. In October, IVAW publicized a statement by Abdo condemning Islamophobia. Finally, in November 2010, Abdo offered his support at Ft. Campbell to SPC Jeff Hanks, whose own battle with combat-related trauma earned him the support of IVAW’s Operation Recovery Campaign.

IVAW has not been in contact with Naser Abdo since that time.

As we await additional information on the details of Abdo’s arrest, IVAW reiterates its commitment to non-violence, as outlined in our 2009 Resolution on Non-Violent and Peaceful Actions. Per the organization’s mission, IVAW supports the health and safety of all American troops, and never condones the threat or use of violence against military or civilian establishments or individuals.

Same defense they used with Rick Duncan Strandlof, and still crap. But the thing I take contention with is the “IVAW has not been in contact with Naser Abdo since that time.”

That’s crap. His Facebook page was linked to a TON of IVAW members, and there was free discussion back and forth. So, I guess maybe the dude never called the home office, but that is crap. Besides, his lawyer for the porn charges was the same lawyer that does all the IVAW cases. So really? We’re to believe there was no contact at all? Or just official contact?

Also, Mother Jones linked to us, and it is every bit as you might expect, the money shot is:

And This Ain’t Hell certainly has an axe to grind when it comes to Muslims, the military, and antiwar groups.

Good job throwing the “Islamaphobia” charge in there. Look Dick, I bet I’ve given more money to Muslims than you have, because I was buying little kids shoes, shampoo, coloring books, coats etc the entire time I was deployed. In fact. every chance I got to take out money, I bought more stuff for the kids. So take your Muslim bating bullshit and shove it up your ass. As a commenter made clear, there are plenty of Muslims we served beside. I can name about 10 off the top of my head, and 9 of them never caused me any anxiety or other, and I lived with them. One was a shitbag (SGT Hawk, FO) who claimed to be a Muslim to avoid guard duty during Ramadan in Bosnia, and then proceeded to get drunk in Budapest and get a Tattoo that I don’t feel comfortable sharing, but which made clear just how holy he was. The others were great soldiers, no more or less so because of or despite of their holy beliefs.

Oh, also:

Vasquez acknowledged that the arrest might drive conservatives to place greater scrutiny on the anti-war organization. “No matter what we say, whether we have been combat veterans or not, there’s going to be folks that are just opposed to us on principle,” he said.

Another load of crap. I have many friends who are against the war, and as pointed out innumerable times, I am friends with even some IVAW members. (AS you know, and a few others.) I don’t give a shit what someone’s view is on the war, it is when it crosses over into maligning those of us who served honorably that I get a case of the ass. The ones we like over there are not the problem, it is turds like Montalvan who lies about his service, Geoff Millard who lies about his CIB, Rappenhagen who lies every time he speaks about DU or nearly any other topic, Knappenberger and DeWald who threatened to kill us….do I need to go on?

Cross Posted from Burn Pit.

Last week or so I was contacted by a veteran who is attending the Seattle University School of Law.   Anyway, he told me about something that was going on at the school, and I asked him to draft me up something.  Here is what he wrote, followed by some more info that I’ve found in my research:

Seattle University dishonors veterans by organizing protestors on campus and actually asking students to volunteer their time to help!

After being asked by student veterans to not bring war protestors on campus, Seattle University School of Law employee Diana Singleton did just that.  Last month Ms. Singleton disregarded student veterans and invited members of the Seattle Draft and Military Counseling Center (SDMCC) to give a presentation on campus which asked students to volunteer their time for the organization. 

In a misleading email to the entire student body Ms. Singleton wrote:

“Passionate about issues facing veterans in our community? Interested in educating active service members about their rights? Looking for a concrete way to support the men and women who join the military?

“The training covers rights and resources for active service members and their families such as types of discharges (Conscientious Objector, Hardship, etc), Family Plans (for caring for children while service members are deployed), and Court Martial and AWOL procedures.”

The paid school employee then used university classrooms conducted a two day conference in order to train student volunteers to “help” veterans and military personnel by volunteering for the organization.  In reality the school employee Ms. Singleton and the SDMCC were recruiting unwitting students to volunteers for a thinly disguised war protesting organization which routinely participates in illegal activities. 

The SDMCC is its sister organization to the Iraq Veterans Against the War were responsible in 2007 for attempting to block shipments of military gear for an Army Stryker brigade that returned to nearby Fort Lewis from Iraq, over forty members of the organization were arrested by police. 

Today the anti-military, Vietnam era organization (SDMCC) operates a hotline which encourages teenagers to not register for the Selective Service and active duty military personnel to go AWOL. 

_______________________________________________

Although I haven’t ever heard of anyone being prosecuted for it, there is a federal statute on the books which would seem to implicate what they are doing, it is 18 U.S.C. § 2388 : Activities affecting armed forces during war:

(a) Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully makes or conveys false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies; or Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or willfully obstructs the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, to the injury of the service or the United States, or attempts to do so – Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than
twenty years, or both.

(b) If two or more persons conspire to violate subsection (a) of this section and one or more such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as provided in said subsection (a).

(c) Whoever harbors or conceals any person who he knows, or has reasonable grounds to believe or suspect, has committed, or is about to commit, an offense under this section, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

The SDMCC really is a rather wacky group, with the usual ties to organizations like “Military Law Task Force” of the “National Lawyers Guild” which itself has some seriously shady ties to terrorist groups.  But most of SDMCC’s stuff really doesn’t rise to that level.  Take this pamphlet for instance entitled: Getting Out: A Guide to Military Discharges (pdf) .

They are also tied in with “Coffee Strong” which bills itself as Pro-GI, Anti-War, Veteran Owned Coffee shop:

 Veterans provide a safe place for soldiers to share the effects of disastrous wars, within 300 meters of the gates at Ft Lewis. The unique coffeehouse welcomes soldiers with a free cup of coffee. There is access to the Internet, an informative library, and many referrals are available to community resources, including GI Rights counseling and Veterans Benefits. Free legal and educational resources are available.

Among the “Pro GI” Board are folks like:

Noam Chomsky, who of our all volunteer force once stated:  “In my view, if there’s going to be an army, I think it ought to be a citizens’ army. Now, here I do agree with some people, the top brass, they don’t want a citizens’ army. They want a mercenary army, what we call a volunteer army. A mercenary army of the disadvantaged”

Marjorie Cohn: Former President of the National Lawyers’ Guild, and the author of the worst book I ever read: Rules of Disengagement: The Politics and Honor of Military Dissent 

Eva Golinger: Avisor to Venezuela President Hugo Chavez,

Anyway, you get the idea.

It’s just sort of baffling that a private, Jesuit Law School would purport to want to help veterans by bringing in a group that actively fights against the military.  Maybe if it was part of some larger program wherein they brought in folks who could train the law students on how to represent veterans with claims before the VA, or sought to provide free legal aid to deployed troops and their familes (as my law school does) or even just tried to help homeless veterans.

Instead they apparently felt the best thing they could do for veterans was help those who want to avoid having to complete their contracted service.  It truly is a shame, but hopefully at some point someone will suggest a correction of course, and they’ll start representing all veterans, not just ones who think the military is some evil patriarchal vehicle of oppression.

Ok, so Blackfive sent me this email this morning on how to fail a test with dignity, which you can view here.

Anyway, because I am a dork, this one has been bothering me:

Does anyone know how to solve for x if there is NOT an elephant in the way?

Blackfive tried to give me some BS answer that involved Phythagoras and Area 51 or something, but I’m fairly certain that has nothing to do with the correct answer.

Consider this a going away post for a week, am moving into a rental house.

A buddy of mine emailed today to say he was going on vacation to Ireland, and wished to share a musical accompaniment to bid goodbye….

I countered with

But I was at a loss on how to complete the trifecta, when it came to me….if you drink a bottle of whiskey, and then set out to kill a guy, what happens next? Obviously you are wasted and can’t find your way home.

Now, assuming I want to extend my compilation to an entire CD worth, what recommendations?

Bear in mind I may die while moving all my crap this weekend, as I literally own an entire 10×10 storage facility that contains nothing but books and maps, so this will also double as my faretheewell post.

And if anyone owns those paddle things that shock you back to life, email me and I will tell you the address I am moving to, just do a drive by.

I give you the case of Bruni v. Bruni. You don’t even need to read the case to get that Judge J.W. Quinn of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Family Court, is my new hero:

Larry gave evidence that, less than one month later, Catherine, “Tried to run me over with her van.”[6]

[6] This is always a telltale sign that a husband and wife are drifting apart.

[7] The courtroom energy level in a custody/access dispute spikes quickly when there is evidence that one of the parents has a Hells Angels branch in her family tree. Certainly, my posture improved. Catherine’s niece is engaged to a member of the Hells Angels. I take judicial notice of the fact that the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is a criminal organization (and of the fact that the niece has made a poor choice).

[21] A finger is worth a thousand words and, therefore, is particularly useful should one have a vocabulary of less than a thousand words.

[22] When the operator of a motor vehicle yells “jackass” at a pedestrian, the jackassedness of the former has been proved, but, at that point, it is only an allegation as against the latter.

[26] The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines “dickhead” as “a stupid person.” That would not have been my first guess.

[90] On another occasion in July of 2009, Larry said to [his young daughter]: “You put shit in this hand and shit in this hand, smack it together, what do you get? Taylor.”[30]

[30] I gather that this is Larry’s version of the Big Bang Theory.

My thanks to TAH Reader/Law School Classmate MM for sending me this case. Best legal reading in years.

Let’s start right here: I loathe Roger Clemens. The man is a rat bastard traitor to Red Sox nation, and for that he should be burned in effigy on Lansdowne Street every night. They should have pinatas of him for beat down at McGreevy’s Third Base Saloon. He should have to spend time in hell in Babe Ruth’s Dutch Oven. But, this prosecution is stupid and a waste of time.

From an article about the defense:

Lawyers for Roger Clemens said Tuesday they will challenge the underlying legitimacy of congressional hearings into the use of performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball that led to six felony charges that the pitching icon lied to Congress.

Congress delved into the alleged use of steroids and human growth hormone by baseball players without having relevant legislation pending before Congress and without subsequently generating proposed legislation, Attanasio explained.

Clemens faces federal charges stemming from allegedly lying to Congress during testimony in which he denied using performance enhancing drugs during a distinguished 23-year season career. The prosecution’s star witness, former strength coach Brian McNamee, claimed before Congress that he had injected the pitcher with medications banned by Major League Baseball on multiple occasions with the full knowledge of Clemens.

Really? We are prosecuting him for lying to a body that should have zero interest in the topic, and which is peopled by folks so G D stupid that one of them worried that Guam might capsize endangering US Marines?

The Clemens defense team’s courtroom attack on Congress built upon documents submitted to the court that argued prosecutors must prove to a jury that the congressional hearing was “being held within the due and proper exercise of the power of inquiry bestowed upon” a House committee.

The House “does not have authority to expose the private affairs of individuals, nor does it have the power to attempt to resolve differences between two individuals conducting a hearing unrelated to existing or potential legislation,” the defense filing contended in a submission designed to shape the trial judge’s jury instructions.

Can anyone give me a valid interest Congress has in this? And “Commerce Clause” won’t cut it. Should Congress also be involved in finding who really killed Tupac and Big E. Smalls? What about investigating American Idol?

I had a buddy who once got bounced from a witness list on a hearing by…..Elmo. That’s right, Elmo. He was bounced from a hearing for a rug that some dude has on his hand. If Congress isn’t going to be serious about anything, why in the hell would we care if someone lies before it?

Defense lawyers contend Clemens’ voluntary testimony to Congress was not “material” to the work of Congress and that lawmakers took no remedial action in response to testimony about drug use in baseball other than referring Clemens to prosecutors for allegedly lying.

Prosecutor Daniel Butler challenged Attanasio’s contention, insisting Congress enjoys broad powers to delve into issues of public concern. Prosecutors hope to bolster their contention with immediate testimony as early as today by retired House Parliamentarian Charles Johnson and former committee chief counsel Phil Barnett.

Butler emphasized that a congressional hearing back in 2005 prompted both legislation to regulate steroids and creation of Major League Baseball’s commission led by former Sen. George Mitchell, D-Maine, to investigate the scope of drug abuse within the multibillion-dollar professional sport.

All this shit was going down when I was deployed, and leading the show was the execrable Republican Chairman from Virginia Tom Davis. With the possible exception of Ron Paul, I have never despised a GOP as much as him. And now this rat bastard is teaching classes at GMU, which annoys me to no end.

Anyway, as much as I hate Clemens, and am certain dude lied his ass off, I hope this defense works and sends a message that The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. And one of those is overseeing professional sports. Congress should stick to what it is good at, doing jack shit.

Once, maybe twice a generation, a hero rises among us. Is it hyperbole to call Nagin a hero? You be the judge… From the greatest article ever written in the history of the AP:

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin writes in a new memoir that he was the only one to understand how to recover from Hurricane Katrina, and that he endured plots against him and incompetence around him as he set his plan in motion.

That and more is in the recently self-published memoir from Nagin, who was mayor before, during and after the Aug. 29, 2005, storm that flooded 80 percent of the city and took more than 1,700 lives. Nagin writes in “Katrina’s Secrets: Storms After the Storm” that he was the only one who understood the storm’s dangers and tried to get people out of harm’s way before it struck. After the storm, his one-page plan to get citizens back to a restored New Orleans disappeared, likely taken by someone who wanted to write a book, Nagin writes.

I can almost anticipate what some of you hating haters of hate are thinking: “wait, did he just say that the plan to restore New Orleans was one page?” Dude, when you are as smart as Nagin, you don’t need a three ring binder for this stuff. He could have done it on a post-it note. And who took it? The Klan. In league with an international cabal of 1 page plan stealers.

“I had a target on my back as the guy who stood in the way of their vision of a new New Orleans where mint juleps would once again be the drink of choice in a bleached, adult Disney World-like city,” he writes….

Nagin discusses conspiracy theories and “shadow governments” aimed at undermining him, including “men dressed in black combat outfits and adorned in bulletproof vest, rifles, and leg straps holding at least two very large handguns each,” storming into a meeting and saying they were there to protect the mayor. Another involves others running suspicious wires from the roof of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, where Nagin was holed up, around the door to his suite.

I knew it, I just fricken knew it. You guys laughed at Cynthia McKinney when she told us about the “credible reports that the U.S. military dumped 5,000 prisoners — each with “a single bullet wound to the head — in Louisiana swamps using Hurricane Katrina as cover“, and now we know who pulled off this heinous (please pronounce as high-anus) deed. It was the Mint Julip White Liberation Front.

While in Dallas shortly after the storm, Nagin met with a group of white businessmen, with a lone black man among them, that was determined to “keep certain residents out and to shut down parts of New Orleans forever.” Yet Nagin appointed the leader those businessmen to his 17-member “Bring New Orleans Back Committee.”

Nagin said he was chosen by God to lead the city out of the storm. God also answered Nagin’s prayers by sending a brief rain shower to cool the people packed for days into the Superdome after the hurricane, preventing a potential riot, he said.

He’s like a modern day Moses, if Moses just said “Fug it, this desert looks as good a place as any.”

The ex-mayor, who has set up a business in disaster consulting, writes that he urged everyone to leave the city before the storm hit. He also asked churches and neighbors to take those who were sick or could not afford to evacuate. And finally he provided city buses to take people to the Superdome — the so-called shelter of last resort.

The city “planned for food and water to sustain up to twenty-five thousand sheltered people for three days,” Nagin writes.

But Doug Thornton, vice president of SMG, the company that manages the Superdome, said there were no plans before the storm to use the stadium as a general shelter. It could be used, he said, to house people with medical needs.

Of course Doug Thornton said that, he knows the black people don’t like football. If Ray Nagin says it is so, it is so. To believe otherwise is just like burning a cross on a lawn.

Nagin also claims that an effort by some residents to leave the city by walking over the Mississippi River Bridge and out through Jefferson Parish, only to be rebuffed by gun-wielding police, was actually part of a “freedom march” designed to go to the governor’s mansion in Baton Rouge to call attention to the city’s plight.

Nagin said he and Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, who was brought in to oversee the post-Katrina evacuations and clean up, planned the march only to have it stymied when Blanco’s office leaked word of it to parish officials. However, Honore said he recalled no such conversation.

“The only discussion I remember was about having the people march through a shopping center to reach the buses,” Honore said. “Anything else was never on my scope.”

Honore is obviously stuck on stupid, and a liar.

So, here’s to you Mr. Mayor. Through your leadership and courage, we now know about the dastardly plot to whiten-up New Orleans. You are a hero to many of us.