09DEC09 FNSB, Grandfather Rights, and the Code of the West...

I'm glad I'm living in Alaska, I escape some of the insanity of government that plagues most of the nation these days (or the insanity of home owners associations that hate flag poles and WWII Medal of Honor Recipients). One thing I'll give Colorado Springs and in particular El Paso County (other than liking the Sheriff who encourages every citizen in his county to get a CCW Permit...), is the Code of the West they established as a result of heading off lawsuits against farms, industry, and people in general when new neighbors show up and demand the world to change to suit their tastes despite the fact that the pig farm that smells has been there THREE GENERATIONS.

So here it is, El Paso County Colorado's CODE OF THE WEST:

Code of the West

Based on a code by John Clarke
former Larimer County Commissioner

The Code of the West was first chronicled by the famous western writer, Zane Grey. The men and women who came to this part of the country during the westward expansion of the United States were bound by an unwritten code of conduct. The values of integrity and self reliance guided their decisions, actions and interactions. In keeping with that spirit, we offer this information to help the citizens of El Paso County who wish to follow in the footsteps of those rugged individualists by living outside city limits.

Introduction

It is important for you to know that life in the country is different from life in the city. County governments are not able to provide the same level of service that city governments provide. To that end, we are providing you with the following information to help you make an educated and informed decision to purchase rural land.

Access

The fact that you can drive to your property does not necessarily guarantee that you, your guests and emergency service vehicles can achieve that same level of access at all times. Please consider:

1.1 - Emergency response times (sheriff, fire suppression, medical care, etc.) cannot be guaranteed. Under some extreme conditions, you may find that emergency response is extremely slow and expensive.

1.2 - There can be problems with the legal aspects of access, especially if you gain access across property belonging to others. It is wise to obtain legal advice and understand the easements that may be necessary when these types of questions arise.

1.3 - You can experience problems with the maintenance and cost of maintenance of your road. El Paso County maintains nearly 2,000 miles of roads, but many rural properties are served by private and public roads which are maintained by private road associations. There are even some county roads that are not maintained by the county - no grading or snow plowing. There are even some public roads that are not maintained by anyone! Make sure you know what type of maintenance to expect and who will provide that maintenance.

1.4 - Extreme weather conditions can destroy roads. It is wise to determine whether or not your road was properly engineered and constructed.

1.5 - Many large construction vehicles cannot navigate small, narrow roads. If you plan to build, it is prudent to check out construction access.

1.6 - School buses travel only on maintained county roads that have been designated as school bus routes by the school district. You may need to drive your children to the nearest county road so they can get to school.

1.7 - In extreme weather, even county maintained roads can become impassable. You may need a four wheel drive vehicle with chains for all four wheels to travel during those episodes, which could last for several days.

1.8 - Natural disasters, especially floods, can destroy roads. El Paso County will repair and maintain county roads; however, subdivision roads are the responsibility of the landowners who use those roads. A dry creek bed can become a raging torrent and wash out roads, bridges, and culverts. Residents served by private roads and/or bridges have been hit with large bills for repairs and/or reconstruction after floods.

1.9 - Unpaved roads generate dust. When traffic levels reach specific levels, El Paso County treats county system roads to suppress the dust, but dust is still a fact of life for most rural residents.

1.10 - If your road is unpaved, it is highly unlikely that El Paso County will pave it in the foreseeable future. Check carefully with the County Department of Transportation when any statement is made by the seller of any property that indicates any unpaved roads will be paved!

1.11 - Unpaved roads are not always smooth and are often slippery when they are wet. You will experience an increase in vehicle maintenance costs when you regularly travel on rural county roads.

1.12 - Mail delivery is not available to all areas of the county. Ask the postmaster to describe the system for your area.

1.13 - Newspaper delivery is similarly not always available to rural areas. Check with the newspaper of your choice before assuming you can get delivery.

1.14 - Standard parcel and overnight package delivery can be a problem for those who live in the country. Confirm with the service providers as to your status.

1.15 - It may be more expensive and time consuming to build a rural residence due to delivery fees and the time required for inspectors to reach your site.

1.16 – Because access to your property may be blocked by weather and other factors for extended periods, you should always have on hand adequate food, medicine, and other supplies and be prepared for road closures or other access blockages.

Utility services

Water, sewer, electric, telephone and other services may be unavailable or may not operate at urban standards. Repairs can often take much longer than in towns and cities. Please review your options from the non-exhaustive list below.

2.1 - Telephone communications can be a problem, especially in the mountain areas of El Paso County. From time to time, the only phone service available has been a party line. If you have a private line, it may be difficult to obtain another line for fax or computer modem uses. Even cellular phones will not work in all areas.

2.2 - If sewer service is available to your property, it may be expensive to hook into the system. It also may be expensive to maintain the system you use.

2.3 - If sewer service is not available, you will need to use an approved septic system or other treatment process. The type of soil you have available for a leach field will be very important in determining the cost and function of your system. Have the system checked by a reliable sanitation firm and ask for assistance from the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment.

2.4 - If you have access to a supply of treated domestic water, the tap fees can be expensive. You may also find that your monthly cost of service can be costly when compared to municipal systems.

2.5 - If you do not have access to a supply of treated domestic water, you will have to locate an alternative supply. The most common method is use of a well. Permits for wells are granted by the state engineer and the cost for drilling and pumping can be considerable. The quality and quantity of well water can vary considerably from location to location and from season to season. The water level in a well may change over time, necessitating drilling a deeper or replacement well. It is strongly advised that you research this issue very carefully.

2.6 - Not all wells can be used for watering of landscaping and/or livestock. Permits from the state engineer may restrict water to use to that which is used inside of a home. If you have other needs, make certain that you have the proper approvals before you invest. It may also be difficult to find enough water to provide for your needs even if you can secure the proper permit.

2.7 - Electric service is not available to every area of El Paso County. It is important to determine the proximity of electrical power. It can be very expensive to extend power lines to remote areas.

2.8 - It may be necessary to cross property owned by others in order to extend electric service to your property in the most cost efficient manner. It is important to make sure that the proper easements are in place to allow lines to be built to your property.

2.9 - Electric power may not be available in two phase and three phase service configurations. If you have special power requirements, it is important to know what level of service can be provided to your property.

2.10 - If you are purchasing land with the plan to build at a future date, there is a possibility that electric lines (and other utilities) may not be large enough to accommodate you if others connect during the time you wait to build.

2.11 - The cost of electric service is usually divided into a fee to hook into the system and then a monthly charge for energy consumed. It is important to know both costs before making a decision to purchase a specific piece of property.

2.12 - Power outages can occur in outlying areas with more frequency than in more developed areas. A loss of electric power can also interrupt your supply of water from a well. You may also lose food in freezers or refrigerators and power outages can cause problems with computers as well. It is important to be able to survive for up to a week in severe cold with no utilities if you live in the country.

2.13 - Trash removal can be much more expensive in a rural area than in a city. In some cases, your trash dumpster may be several miles from your home. It is illegal to create your own trash dump, even on your own land. It is good to know the cost for trash removal as you make the decision to move into the country. In some cases, your only option may be to haul your trash to the landfill yourself. Recycling is more difficult because pick-up is not available in most rural areas.

The property

There are many issues that can affect your property. It is important to research these items before purchasing land.

3.1 - Not all lots are buildable. The El Paso County Assessor has many parcels that are separate for the purpose of taxation that are not legal lots in the sense that a building permit will not be issued. You must check with the El Paso County Planning Department to know that a piece of land can be built on.

3.2 - Easements may require you to allow construction of roads, power lines, water lines, sewer lines, etc. across your land. There may be easements that are not of record. Check these issues carefully.

3.3 - Many property owners do not own the mineral rights under their property. Owners of mineral rights have the ability to change the surface characteristics in order to extract their minerals. It is very important to know what minerals may be located under the land and who owns them. Much of the rural land in El Paso County can be used for mining; however a special review by the county commissioners is usually required. Be aware that adjacent mining uses can expand and cause negative impacts.

3.4 - You may be provided with a plat of your property, but unless the land has been surveyed and pins placed by a licensed surveyor, you cannot assume that the plat is accurate.

3.5 - Fences that separate properties are often misaligned with the property lines. A survey of the land is the only way to confirm the location of your property lines.

3.6 - Many subdivisions and planned unit developments have covenants that limit the use of the property. It is important to obtain a copy of the covenants (or confirm that there are none) and make sure that you can live with those rules. Also, a lack of covenants can cause problems between neighbors.

3.7 - Homeowners associations (HOAs) are required to take care of common elements, roads, open space, etc. A dysfunctional homeowners association or poor covenants can cause problems for you and even involve you in expensive litigation.

3.8 - Dues are almost always a requirement for those areas with a HOA. The by-laws of the HOA will tell you how the organization operates and how the dues are set.

3.9 - The surrounding properties will probably not remain as they are indefinitely. You can check with the El Paso County Planning Department to find out how the properties are zoned and to see what future developments may be in the planning stages. The view from your property may change.

3.10 - If you have a ditch running across your property there is a good possibility that the owners of the ditch have the right to come onto your property with heavy equipment to maintain the ditch.

3.11 - Water rights that are sold with the property may not give you the right to use the water from any ditches crossing your land without coordinating with a neighbor who also uses the water. Other users may have senior rights to the water that can limit your use or require you to pay for the over-sizing or other improving of the ditch.

3.12 - It is important to make sure that any water rights you purchase with the land will provide enough water to maintain fruit trees, pastures, gardens or livestock.

3.13 - The water flowing in irrigation ditches belongs to someone. You cannot assume that because the water flows across your property, you can use it.

3.14 - Flowing water can be a hazard, especially to young children. Before you decide to locate your home near an active ditch, consider the possible danger to your family.

Mother Nature

Residents of the country usually experience more problems when the elements and earth turn unfriendly. Here are some thoughts for you to consider.

4.1 - The physical characteristics of your property can be positive and negative. Trees are a wonderful environmental amenity, but can also involve your home in a forest fire. Building at the top of a forested draw should be considered as dangerous as building in a flash flood area. Defensible perimeters are very helpful in protecting buildings from forest fire and inversely can protect the forest from igniting if your house catches on fire. If you start a forest fire, you are responsible for paying for the cost of extinguishing that fire. For further information, you can contact the El Paso County Emergency Services Department.

4.2 - Steep slopes can slide in unusually wet weather. Large rocks can also roll down steep slopes and present a great danger to people and property.

4.3 - Expansive soils, such as Bentonite Clay (which is common in the foothills) can buckle concrete foundations and twist steel I-beams. You can know the soil conditions on your property if you have a soil test performed.

4.4 - North facing slopes or canyons rarely see direct sunlight in the winter. There is a possibility that snow will accumulate and not melt throughout the winter.

4.5 - The topography of the land can tell you where the water will go in the case of heavy precipitation. When property owners fill in ravines, they have found that the water that drained through that ravine now drains through their house.

4.6 - A flash flood can occur, especially during the summer months, and turn a dry gully into a river. It is wise to take this possibility into consideration when building.

4.7 - Spring run-off can cause a very small creek to become a major river. Many residents use sand bags to protect their homes. The county does not provide sand bags, equipment or people to protect private property from flooding.

4.8 - Nature can provide you with some wonderful neighbors. Most, such as deer and eagles are positive additions to the environment. However, even "harmless" animals like deer can cross the road unexpectedly and cause traffic accidents. Rural development encroaches on the traditional habitat of coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, prairie dogs, bears, mosquitoes and other animals that can be dangerous and you need to know how to deal with them. In general, it is best to enjoy wildlife from a distance and know that if you do not handle your pets and trash properly, it could cause problems for you and the wildlife. The Colorado Department of Wildlife and the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment are two good resources for information. They have many free publications to help educate you about living in the wild.

Agriculture

The people who tamed this wild land brought water to the barren, arid east slope of the Rockies through an ingenious system of water diversion. This water has allowed agriculture to become an important part of our environment. Owning rural land means knowing how to care for it. There are a few things you need to know:

5.1 - Farmers often work around the clock, especially during planting and harvest time. Dairy operators sometimes milk without stopping and hay is often swathed or baled at night. It is possible that adjoining agriculture uses can disturb your peace and quiet.

5.2 - Land preparation and other operations can cause dust, especially during windy and dry weather.

5.3 - Farmers occasionally burn their ditches to keep them clean of debris, weeds and other obstructions. This burning creates smoke that you may find objectionable.

5.4 - Chemicals (mainly fertilizers and herbicides) are often used in growing crops. You may be sensitive to these substances and many people actually have severe allergic reactions. Many of these chemicals are applied by airplanes that fly early in the morning.

5.5 - Animals and their manure can cause objectionable odors. What else can we say?

5.6 - Agriculture is an important business in El Paso County. If you choose to live among the farms and ranches of our rural countryside, do not expect county government to intervene in the normal day-to-day operations of your agri-business neighbors. In fact, Colorado has "Right to Farm" legislation that protects farmers and ranchers from nuisance and liability lawsuits. It enables them to continue producing food and fiber.

5.7 - Colorado has an open range law. This means if you do not want cattle, sheep or other livestock on your property, it is your responsibility to fence them out. It is not the responsibility of the rancher to keep his/her livestock off your property.

5.8 - Before buying land you should know if it has noxious weeds that may be expensive to control and you may be required to control. Some plants are poisonous to horses and other livestock.

5.9 - Animals can be dangerous. Bulls, stallions, rams, boars, etc. can attack human beings. Children need to know that it is not safe to enter pens where animals are kept.

5.10 - Much of El Paso County receives less than 15 inches (38 cm) of precipitation per year. As a result, we have a problem with overgrazing, and fugitive dust. Without irrigation, grass does not grow very well. There is a limit to the amount of grazing the land can handle. The Colorado State University Cooperative Extension can help you with these issues.

In conclusion

Even though you pay property taxes to the county, the amount of tax collected does not cover the cost of the services provided to rural residents. In general, those living in the cities and commercial and industrial properties subsidize the lifestyle of those who live in the country by making up the shortfall between the cost of services and the revenues received from rural dwellers.

This information is by no means exhaustive. There are other issues that you may encounter that we have overlooked and we encourage you to be vigilant in your duties to explore and examine those things that could cause your move to be less than you expect.
We have offered these comments in the sincere hope that it can help you enjoy your decision to reside in the country. It is not our intent to dissuade you, only inform you.

07DEC09 A day of Infamy...

...check out the tribute to the men and women who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor this day in 1941.

Also, the infamous "Inconvenient Truth" of lies surrounding 'Climate Gate' continues to unfold, with some demanding Al Gore's Oscar be stripped... Expect calls for blood soon if climate change legislation gets out of hand. In fact, there should be calls for Senatorial investigations into the Universities here in the US that promoted the idea and willfully manipulated the data in order to ensure they continued to get Government grants to research this! This is huge folks! BILLIONS if not TRILLIONS of dollars since the late 1960's have been poured into 'Global Warming' prevention programs from your vehicles emissions, to the banning of refrigerants, to what may become 'Cap and Trade'. The EvironMENTALists will not cease this fight because to lose this fight would be an admission of guilt on their part and result in the biggest scientific scandal since Eugenics.

29NOV09 Battle For Terra DVD review, or 83 minutes of life I'll never get back...

NOTE: If you intend to watch this movie, don't read my review first, I'm spoiling the plot!

First off, it was rather beautifully animated even if the rendering was a tad on the light side in some cases. The shadows were well executed, and CG has come a LONG way since Toy Story! However, its 2009, so yo know it was low budget because the main characters were bald, and the ones with hair still had the solid cap looking hair that was a necessity back when Toy Story was made due to the technical limitations. Now, its just a sign of not being able to (or willing to) pay for the rendering farm usage. They captured the movements and skittishness of birds quite well in their Terran (but not the Earth Terra, but an earth-like planet called Terra... yeesh! So the critique begins...) equivalent of hummingbirds and sparrows.

Downhill from there. As always, its about humans traveling across the galaxy looking for new home because we destroyed our home planet Earth, and in this case both Mars and Venus in a giant war between humanity. Someone believes Earth would have a government, that would have colonies on Mars and Venus who would be under colonial governments and declare independence from Earth's government. Typical episodic or b-grade science fiction idea (I blame Gene Roddenberry for that one mainly, but its a far too common theme in science fiction...). Of course, the beautifully rendered bird is on the earth-like planet called Terra by humans, inhabited by none other than a peace loving race of aliens who are at one with nature (anyone else seeing where this conflict is leading?).

As you can guess, the human race, having destroyed earth is desperate for a new home world, and the human government consists of the ever wise, clear thinking, and level headed Council; and the hothead, genocidal (xenocidal) maniacs of the Earth Force. They are in a space craft called the Ark, and run across the ever peaceful species of aliens whom the Earth Force (surprise, surprise) is willing to wipe out in an effort colonize the earth-like planet of Terra. Since the Council disagrees and wants to engage in diplomacy, the Earth Force does what every military force does when faced with this dilemma in Hollyweird film, and carries out a military coup.

But wait, theres more! Our Terran aliens have a wise and all knowing Council of Elders themselves that have ensured the peace and prosperity of their planet by removing all knowledge of war from the people! Gum drops and lollipops all around! They seem to have managed to eradicate violence from their species by keeping all weapons from them! In the mountains shrouded in clouds is a cave full of the knowledge of war, forbidden to the general populace, and only the Elders have access! The Terrans have pulled their advanced technology out to save their species! Of course, the protagonist has to go through the shock of learning what violence and war is, and then learn all about how the Terrans almost destroyed themselves with these weapons, which was why the survivors banned technology that wasn't approved by the Elders and hid the weapons. So, a species that is Fallen like mankind, can just suppress all thoughts and acts of violence by removing the weapons? Right... Ask a prison warden what happens with no guns or knives, ask an orderly at a mental institution about kids raised in a 'weapon free' environment and how violent they can be just based on PURE INSTINCT. Of course, such details are omitted, as this is a child's cartoon (rated PG of course...).

As to the final battle, lets just say a human who isn't bad finally decides to stop the plans of the xenocidal maniac General Hammer. Which brings me to my next point, have you ever noticed that Hollyweird always portrays military men in science fiction as being homicidal/xenocidal/genocidal maniacs (and when they can, they chomp cigars like Patton) with no mind to the consequences of violence? That, and always ready to conquer new lands and planets and enslave the populace in order to rape said planet of natural resources! I've also noticed the tendency for said generals to execute a military coup, assassination plot, or some other bull @#%* whenever the civilian government (who is ALWAYS portrayed as wise, all knowing, peace loving, and empathetic) gets in the way of the Conquest. Perhaps this negative portrayal of the military is my biggest critique of this movie (along with mindlessness of the enlisted men and officers under the General, except for the one they intend to foil the plot with whom has 'gone native'), along with the fact that all Hollyweird war heroes tend to be officers (with occassional senior enlisted men involved somewhere... anyone in the real military will tell you the countless stories of heroism involving men who wore stripes, not bars, leaves, birds or stars).

Make no mistake, I'm a fan of military science fiction, mostly in the books. Give me a book by David Drake or J.E. Pournelle any day and I'll gladly read it. Why? Because there is a far greater accuracy in their writing than what I've ever seen on the big screen. Of course, if Hollyweird tried to make a movie about one of their books, they'd screw up and come up with another 1997 movie erroneously named Starship Troopers (which honestly, they should have picked a Hammers Slammers story to do instead of Heinlein's book, they'd at least portray the back story of the mercs 'pleasure section' accurately even if they missed the rest of the story...). But then, Hollyweird is full of writers who don't have any military experience of their own, or if the do they get lost in the crowd of producers, executive producers, directors, and focus meetings done in order to target the script at the best selling segment of the audience at large. FLOP, WHY?! They scream when the movie fails...

Part of my frustration, which has led to this blog post, is the continual stereotyping I see in Hollyweird science fiction movies. If one were to judge science fiction based on movies, science fiction is in trouble! But alas, science fiction lives in literature and lives very well there. Much better than on big screen. We've seen Hollyweird come a long way in its portrayal of science fiction, from the basic 'green men invasion' low budget flick period in which only two movies really reflected science fiction literature ('The Day the Earth Stood Still', and 'The Forbidden Planet'), to classics like 'The Twilight Zone' and 'Star Trek' on TV, until where we are today with decent science fiction on the TV and big screen.

But there is a long way to go. I can see the format for the last two decades reverberated here. Its form science fiction again, what sells (sorta). We see the same common thread in 'The Abyss', the 'Fifth Element', and finally here with 'Battle for Terra'. Mankind is bad, we destroy our earth, and worst of all we fight wars. Therefore we are violent, 'un-evolved', people whom should be isolated on earth or destroyed completely. Um, sure... Some how, I'm on board with the military science fiction crowd (in literature) that believes that fighting is a fact of life (and being a spiritual man, an aspect of our Fallen existence). If we are this way, somehow I suspect alien life is that way, and will continue to be that way. Very FEW species on earth don't have any mechanism for fighting to survive, and those that were like that died off (the dodo for example, didn't fear man enough to fly away, or fight to defend nests, they just stood there while sailors shot them and stomped the eggs...). Fight or Flight, or die!

There is some irony here, as I'm going to quote some of J.E. Pournelle's Preface to the 1983 collection of military science fiction stories “There Will Be War”, as he was writing from Hollywood CA at the time! This is the best explanation of why movies like 'Battle for Terra' piss me off I've yet seen.

“Everyone desires peace; but there have been few generations free of war. Paradoxically, the few eras of peace were times when men of war had high influence. The Pax Romana was enforced by Caesar's Legions. The Pax Britannica was enforced by the Royal Navy and His Majesty's Forces. The era of (comparative) peace since 1945 has been marked by the deployment of the most powerful weapons in history.
The Swiss Republic has long enjoyed peace; but ruthlessly enforces universal manhood conscription and military training.
Historically, peace has only been bought by men of war [emphasis mine]. We may, in future, be able to change that. It may be, as some say, that we have no choice. It may be that peace can must be bought with some coin other than blood of good soldiers; but there is no evidence to show that day of jubilee has yet come.”

“History shows another strong trend: when soldiers have succeeded in eliminating war, or at least in keeping the battles far from home, small in scope, and confined largely to soldiers; when in other words, they have done what one might have thought they were supposed to do; it is then that their masters generally despise them.”

Keep in mind, this was written in 1982. Never forget, history repeats itself.

Writers, and those influencing scripts, in Hollyweird are as disconnected with America and reality as they are with history and the military. This movie is nothing more than a cheap flick made to fit the format of Hollyweird science fiction 'first contact' molds with computer animation. It just keeps perpetuating negative stereotypes of those who wear a uniform and actually risk something more than pissing someone off for peace.

So, where is the movie where aliens come to earth, visit the UN, and determine we are un-fit for galactic society because we kill our own before they are even born, seek to kill our elders when they are deemed a burden to society, and social engineer our children into little drones for the government in government run schools while using junk science to scare people into paying more for basic essentials for survival like wood, coal, oil, and natural gas?

24NOV09 CLIMATEGATE! The beginning of the fall of Global Warming BS?!

Check out my little box on the bottom right of this page for my Environmental Reading List, with the exception of some of the books, the links are to blogs and journals from around the globe. Climate Gate coverage now tops the list, but other skeptical works are linked in also!

12NOV2009 Angry Veteran Ranting, part one-hundred... (well, post 219 on this blog...)

More and more, as the days go by, we learn more and more about how political correctness and excessive sensitivity assisted greatly with a lack of communication between Federal law enforcement agencies and the Dept. of Defense! People weren't listening, people were looking the other way in fear of repercussions from CAIR and the ACLU or the MEO (Military Equal Opportunity) Office. President Obama is currently ordering an intelligence review (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9BU5G982&show_article=1) in regards to this incident at Ft. Hood. What is incredibly frustrating is this from that article:
“The FBI confirmed this week that the U.S. government knew about 10 to 20 e-mails between Hasan and a radical imam beginning in December 2008.”
From NPR we have an article based on their interviews with Hasan's co-workers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center which contradict the first comments from Hasan's Imam and family who said 'he was a good soldier' and 'never expressed any radical Islamic' views. In the military, its obvious that they need to take a soldiers co-workers points of view about not being in a foxhole with them much more seriously!
“One official involved in the conversations had reportedly told colleagues that he worried that if Hasan deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, he might leak secret military information to Islamic extremists. Another official reportedly wondered aloud to colleagues whether Hasan might be capable of committing fratricide, like the Muslim U.S. Army sergeant who, in 2003, killed two fellow soldiers and injured 14 others by setting off grenades at a base in Kuwait.”
(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120313570)
We can see that this is not the first time that a Muslim soldier with radical Islamic views has acted in a violent manner toward his fellow soldiers in a blatant act of betrayal and treason along with murder. When soldiers don't trust a Muslim soldier, typically there is a basis in reality; most of the Muslim soldiers that are trusted have actually earned such trust, those that aren't trusted are not trusted for good reason. I can tell you about some of the Muslim soldiers, to include Chaplains, who have done so much for us and increased our ability to interface with the local population in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those who have lost the trust of their comrades need to be removed and watched closely, there is typically reasons for this necessity. Why? Critical intelligence could be compromised along with compromising national security, and incidents like the 2003 grenade attack in Kuwait and now Ft. Hood on the 5th of November 2009.

Maj. Hasan's superiors at Walter Reed did indeed notice suspicious behavior, and I strongly suspect that they acted rather passively due to the very real fear of legal reprisal from Maj. Hasan through the MEO Office. This is no joke, whenever someone who is not a White Christian Male complains about anything, the MEO Office takes seriously and acts in a manner similar to the Spanish Inquisition (NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!) ensuring the accused is guilty until proven innocent and sent to 'sensitivity training' and letters of reprimand through Article 15 Non-Judicial Punishment is meted out (and in some cases, especially in very real cases of sexual assault, Court Martial).

'Meanwhile, the Pentagon has found no evidence that Hasan formally sought release from the Army as a conscientious objector or for any other reason, two senior military officials told The Associated Press. Family members have said he wanted to get out of the Army and had sought legal advice, suggesting that Hasan's anxiety as a Muslim over his pending deployment overseas might have been a factor in the deadly rampage.

Hasan had complained privately to colleagues that he was harassed for his religion and that he wanted to get out of the Army. But there is no record of Hasan filing a complaint with his chain of command regarding any harassment he may have suffered for being Muslim or any record of him formally seeking release from the military, the officials told the AP.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is under investigation.
Another Army official, Lt. Col. George Wright, said Wednesday that Hasan likely would have had to commit to another year in the military when he was transferred to Fort Hood earlier this summer. It is common for an officer to incur a one-year service extension when they receive a transfer to another post.

An Army officer can request a discharge and offer to repay his education costs funded by the military, but in many instances such a request would be denied because it is difficult and takes several years to replace officers at that level.

"It's not unusual for medical officers to be funded by the government," Wright said, "and there is an active duty service obligation to repay that educational funding."'
(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091111/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_fort_hood_shooting)

Despite opportunities to actually confront anyone harassing him, and legally resign his commission and get out of the Army, he did none of these beyond whining (yes whining or venting) to his co-workers about doing it. Instead of using the MEO Office for its intended purpose, in Hasan's case, any actual harassment about his ethnic background and faith; it seems to me that the MEO Office and Inquisitorial procedure stood in the way of actual legitimate concern about his radical Islamic leanings in his daily interaction with his fellow soldiers. Having been in the military, and having to have gone through annual MEO briefings, along with other annual briefings that are required by to deploy with similar messages (like Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Inappropriate Relationships, Homosexual Policy, and many, many more Annual Training requirements... With at least 30 Power Point Slides and guidelines from the Pentagon down to the local unit level....), soldiers were paralyzed by policy from expressing the concern of 'I don't want him in my foxhole' veto power based on the manner in which Hasan argued against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are very few units in the US Military that have that kind of authority to deny someone from deploying or serving in a unit, too bad it only seems reserved to the highly specialized units. In this case, I believe it should be considered much more seriously. Not only should a soldiers superiors rate him, but his subordinates and co-workers to some extent should have some input, after all in a team there is a matter of trust. The man on your left and right ARE truly your concern, they are going to get you out alive and you will likely get them out alive also. Obviously such a system would need be taken with a grain of salt in some cases, but should be considered to some degree.

There was always the opportunity for Maj. Hasan to be come a conscientious objector and say “Due to my Islamic faith, there is a moral conflict of interest and I am not going to bear arms against my people” and I'm sure that would send off the right flags to get him out of the Army after his Military Service Obligation ended and keep him from deploying overseas. But that would require a certain amount of moral courage that obviously he didn't have, or perhaps he was planning on carrying out an act of war against the United States in the first place inserting himself in the Army. Who knows for sure at this point. With the CIA and FBI constantly under scrutiny for 'violating' peoples rights during the Bush Administration, with endless investigations from the House and Senate with high profile members of the Democratic Majority constantly hammering down on them crushing department morale, initiative, and ingenuity; I believe an investigation should be started not only in the agencies that failed to flag and remove the threat, but into the forces pushing certain Congressmen and Congresswomen to constantly whip the CIA and FBI. What political organizations are encouraging Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid? This is a factor that should be taken into consideration in much the same way that it was investigated in the 9/11 Commission Report about how those agencies had their hands tied and communication severed by the Attorney General Janet Reno (who was assisted by the current Attorney General Robert Holder!).

Politics must not interfere with the defense of our nation. Any politician that does willfully interfere with the defense of this nation is a liability to national security and an asset to the enemies of the Constitution of the United States of America; and therefore should be investigated with an eye toward treason. If it turns out that political correctness killed 12 soldiers and 1 civilian at Ft. Hood, its time to remove politicians from office on charges of treason. We are at war, and war is an equal opportunity killer that knows no political or religious sensitivity; we need to commit to victory or work toward terms of surrender if the enemy can be negotiated with. Those are the only two aims in war, anything in the middle is a betrayal of those who fight. Surrender advocates need to make themselves known and be completely honest about it, and quit hiding behind a false face of mediocrity, political correctness, and the wasted phrase of “we support the soldiers but not the war” while delaying decisions to send more troops or pull troops out of Afghanistan costing my brothers and sisters their lives on the field of battle. Victory or Defeat, chose one, for there is no other option in war. In our case, I strongly suspect defeat will mean the end of the United States as we know it in much the same manner as the end of Rome (and the beginning of the subsequent 'Dark Ages').

“The historians can't seem to settle whether to call this one 'The Third Space War' (or the fourth), or whether 'The First Interstellar War' fits it better. We just call it 'The Bug War.' Everything up to then and still later were 'incidents,' 'patrols' or 'police actions.' However, you are just as dead if you buy the farm in an 'incident' as you are if you buy it in a declared war...”
R.A. Heinlein “Starship Troopers” (not to be mistaken for the 1997 erroneously called the same thing)

09NOV2009 Treason!

Major Nidal Malik Hasan committed an act of cold hard treason and sabotage during a time of armed conflict. Irregardless of his background, religion, nationality, or any other factor that might have motivated him, he is a traitor and not a victim. Any other details, ranging from possible radicalism in his Islamic faith to being against the war are minor details that might assist in determining motivation but its all minor compared to convicting Hasan on charges of treason (and executing the traitor). Hasan is just another McVeigh and deserves the same fate, I'm just happy that he will be facing a Court Martial and face the UCMJ. In other words, he will face a death penalty with little chance of avoiding it if convicted.

If they try and say 'teasing' made him a victim, thats bull shit. In today's military, especially if you are of Hasan's background, you have a special set of rights that allows you to hammer those evil white Christian males that joke about you; the Military Equal Opportunity Office. On top of that, how many of you have dealt with worse than being called 'camel jockey'?! I lost count of how many times my co-workers refereed to my faith in a negative manner and used words like 'virgin' and 'prude' in a rather derogatory manner. I've dealt with much worse, such as someone taping a picture of Cardinal Law from Boston on my desk and a 'Recovering Catholic' picture next to it (that resulted in the vehemently anti-Catholic individual receiving a very long talk from my supervisor with his supervisor, luckily the point was noted how pin-headed such actions are and no administrative actions were necessary). Did I go nuts and shoot up people? Nope. I did what any good ROMAD does, and got a thicker skin, but then thats just whats expected of anyone who is a White Christian Heterosexual Pro-Gun Pro-Life male in this country; we can't be offended as we are just so oppressive and evil ourselves we should just take all the hate since we must pay the price for our long dead ancestors that brought all the evil to this world... Don't give me the 'teasing' bull shit excuse. If its so bad to insult Islam, they need just need to grow up like the Jews, Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus have and grow a thick skin (then again, Islam through-out Central Asia and the Middle East tends to oppress those faiths currently...). There is no religion on the face of the earth that hasn't spent some time in persecution by another religion; GET OVER IT.

November 9th, 1989; I was in 1st Grade in Religion Class at St. Terese Catholic School in Aurora Colorado (one of two years I was there), that was when I first learned of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain, the day it came down! A proud day for the world! Freedom triumphed, and the ideas of Communism crumbled with it just a few days later. You would think folks would remember what a farce system socialism is based on the past experiences of seeing over the wall... Nope, people don't remember that far back and forget the lessons of history. I thank God my father was a Cold War Veteran, he gave the context of what the world was like at that point in history.

Hugo Chavez is rattling his saber, telling his forces to get ready to go to war with Columbia. Go figure, he supports the FARC which resorted to kidnapping and drug dealing in between the time when they got money from the Soviets and Chavez. FARC is nothing more than a guerrilla force of Communists attempting to overthrow the Columbian government and force socialism on the rest of the populace. Got to love those Communists! And we wonder where our drug culture came from...

08NOV09 Mass Casualty Training

We just finished Drill this month, early. Why? Well, we've been coordinating and are continuing to coordinate training on MASCAS events. Mainly, because if the State Defense Force gets called up, its likely going to be one such event. State Defense Force/State Guard units are next in line when the National Guard is swamped or deployed over seas (during Katrina, the State Guard in Louisiana and several other states like Maryland responded until the US Army and the State of LA were able to get the bulk of their National Guard units back from Iraq and other locations... Hence the purpose of a Title 32 State Guard/Defense Force... YES, the National Guard NEEDS backed up once in a while...) to respond to crisis. Our instructor (who is an active duty medic and volunteering his weekend to train us) worked with the New York State Guard during 9/11/01 and has felt the urgency in ensuring that State Guard/Defense Forces need as much training as their National Guard, Reserve, and Active duty counter parts based on that experience.

About three months ago, he approached us and expressed an interest in helping us a few weekends to get us up to speed with the likely procedures in use today, starting at the very basic level. We are still at the crawling phase in our training, but now we are thinking about how to handle the crisis. Our medics (many of whom are EMT, ranging from in EMT courses now, to full Paramedics with combat/ full time ambulance experience) were as always the center focus of training, with all the rest of us learning what we can do to back them up during a MASCAS event. Everything from initial triage, placement of each level of triage, to the roles such as site security and public affairs were discussed. Should something happen, we now are better prepared to fill in the appropriate roles!

One of the best things that folks in the public at large should learn about mass casualty events is that YOU could be a first responder. Learn basic first aid and CPR! You never know where this might come in handy. With basic first aid training you go from being just a witness or victim of an event (like an earthquake, flood, fire, or God forbid a terrorist act like 9/11) to being someone who can assist the folks in uniform in at the very least bearing a litter and holding pressure on a dressing to stabilize bleeding. You can bet that in the event of a MASCAS, that kind of assistance will be both needed and welcome. One thing that I always liked about the military, in these events, rank vanishes and anyone walking tends to automatically know that they have a role to fill (generals carrying litters and holding field dressings has happened many times throughout history...). Take that example to heart. Anyone with medical training of any variety should step up and do what they can. Citizens are the first responders in every MASCAS! Know enough to be able to be more than 'just a bystander' getting in the way! Mentally, accept the possibility of the worst possible event and you just increase your chances of survival tremendously!

I'd also encourage folks to learn a little more about what State Guard and State Defense Forces do, and why they are so important to the security and readiness of our country and states! For veterans, this is a great way to serve your country once again when you are done with Active Duty, National Guard or Reserve time! You don't deploy overseas, you might go to another state, but for most units there is no age limits (obviously, you will be assigned duties accordingly...). If anyone in Alaska is interested, just shoot me a message and I'll get you more information on the 49th Civil Affairs Brigade (SEP) Alaska State Defense Force (formerly the Alaska Territorial Guard back in WWII), and in particularly the 3rd MP Battalion here in Fairbanks.

06NOV09 Can you blame them for loss of trust?

Is it a terrorist act, or just an angry Army Psychiatrist who happens to be Moslem getting mad and going of the deep end when faced with his first deployment orders to a war he opposes? His Imam is at a loss, as he never showed any radical tendencies at the mosque; his co-workers are pretty shocked that his stress led him this way; and there are many of those whom are his victims who were re-deploying home and heard the words they heard far too often “Allah Ackbar” as he began to open fire on them:

“Soldiers reported that the gunman shouted "Allahu Akbar!" — an Arabic phrase for "God is great!" — before opening fire, said Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, the base commander. He said officials had not yet confirmed that Hasan made the comment.”
(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091106/ap_on_re_us/us_fort_hood_shooting)

As the investigation continues, I'm sure we'll get a clearer profile on the path that led Maj. Hasan to the path of violence against his fellow soldiers. Clearly, trust has been violated in an extremely grave manner here. You have a Psychiatrist entrusted with helping soldiers through times like this in their own lives; who is also Moslem and opposed to the war. This will cause further suspicion that has existed for a very long time, and honestly you can't blame the soldiers for being suspicious anymore. They've never trusted psychiatrists, and since 9/11/01 have been cautious about Islam with good reason; now they hear one of their own turned and killed 13 of their own at Ft. Hood while while allegedly screaming “Allah Akbar” like a common terrorist. Can you blame them for lack of trust?

29OCT09 Time for Coyote trapping and hunting in Canada!

A 19 year old woman, Taylor Mitchell was killed in coyote attack in Canada. Some biologist are at a loss, however coyotes are canines and inherently pack animals and WILL from time to time attack humans. No matter the species, dogs are dogs! Same thing is happening in California and other states here in the US where hunting is so tightly regulated.

This causes an imbalance in nature the environMENTALists fail to realize. Humans are hunters, since the dawn of man, we hunted or got hunted. Bottom line, we now don't hunt like we used to, so I suspect animals are losing fear of our species no longer really getting acquainted with our predator side like they used to. Well, at least some of the animals near civilization where the hunting is restricted. Here in Alaska, coyotes are especially shy for good reason...

...another thing to think about, out in the wild, wild animals are wild. Go forth properly equipped!

But then, Taylor Mitchell was hiking alone, in a National Park in Nova Scotia. Her government restricts her ability to carry firearms there, and she was alone and a target. Its sad. Canadians should be up in arms about this. Time to start trapping the coyotes there and get them a reason to be nervous around humans again!

KC-130+Hellfire+laser/sensor package= Battlefield Convenience Store!

Live Leak Video

Talk about a flying battlefield convenience store! I wonder if a certain Air National Guard unit in Nevada is playing with this too... I certainly believe it would be an incredible Joint asset and shouldn't just be used by any one branch! Lets get em' all doing this!

Gas up, shoot missiles! What a great combination! This is how the Spooky Gunships were born back in 'Nam; ingenuity, elbow grease, and creative thinking outside the container!