Submarines are Big and Black, But Only the Army ...

See and download the 5th song selection 'Big Black Submarine' by talented submariner Tommy Cox. This post is about a black hero, not a submariner, and the big gray Army ship named recently in his honor. The First African-American, U.S. Ship's Captain:

A 23-year-old slave born in 1839 to a black mother and a white father, become the first African-American to captain a vessel in U.S. service. Later, Robert Smalls served as a major general in the South Carolina militia, a state legislator, a five-term member of the U.S. Congress and U.S. Collector of Customs in Beaufort, S.C.

During the Civil War, Smalls had commandeered the Confederate steamer Planter, which had been loaded with armaments. Smalls, who had been the vessel's Charleston harbor pilot, then transported his wife, children and 12 other slaves to their freedom:

Smalls' family and other crewmens' relatives, who had been concealed on that ship for some time.

[On 13 May, 1862, Smalls] quietly took Planter from the wharf, and with a Confederate flag flying, steamed past the successive Confederate forts, saluting as usual by blowing her steam whistle. As soon as the steamer was out of range of the last Confederate gun, Smalls hauled down the Confederate flag and hoisted a white one. Then he turned Planter over to USS Onward of the Union blockading force. ... The Senate and House of Representatives of the United States passed a Private Law on 30 May 1862, granting Robert Smalls and Planter’s Negro crew one half of the value of Planter and her cargo.

... Smalls [later] returned to his old ship the Planter, now a Union transport. In December 1863, after an act of bravery under fire, Smalls became the first black captain of a vessel in the service of the United States. On December 1, 1863, the Planter was caught in a crossfire from Union and Confederate forces. The ship's commander, Captain Nickerson, ordered the ship to be surrendered. Smalls refused, saying any blacks would not be treated as prisoners of war, but would be killed by the Confederates. Smalls took command and piloted his ship out of the range of the Confederate guns. For that act, he was made a captain, becoming the first black man to command a United States ship. [1]

Hailed as a hero by Union leaders, Robert Smalls went on to become a major general in the South Carolina militia, a state legislator, a five-term member of the U.S. Congress and U.S. Collector of Customs in Beaufort, S.C. Smalls, the first inductee into the Black Hall of Fame (BHOF), is buried at the Tabernacle Baptist Church. A stately memorial bust stands before the Beaufort's African Baptist Church in Small's honor.

The USAV Maj. Gen. Robert Smalls was commissioned (see the gray Goliath 3-sec. side launch video) last week at a ceremony in Baltimore. The $25 million logistics support vessel will transport cargo and vehicles worldwide. Built with huge bow and stern loading ramps, the ship has a 10,500 SF cargo deck able to acomodate 24 M-1 Abrams main battle tanks.

See Dolly Nash, Small's great-granddaughter here: Initiative to Name a U.S. Naval Vessel for Robert Smalls. Smalls was, afterall, working for the Army engineer department (under Gen. Ripley, CSA), then for the U.S. Army. Isn't it fitting the Army named a "gray Goliath" after Major General Robert Smalls?

Submarine Launched Aerial Delivery System: Are We Almost There Yet?

Camel cigarette once ran a real one-man helicopter ad (1958). A bit later, the Soviet Union attempted to deploy a foldable, one-man, spy helicopter (mock up pictured in the left photo) launchable from submarines via standard 533mm (21") torpedo tubes. Designed to carry a payload of 242 lbs (in addition to its pilot) for 75 miles at about 68 mph and at a top altitude of one mile, the Kamov Ka-56 was never flown due to lack of suitable rotary piston engine.

According to the winning concept produced for the American Helicopter Society by a team of students from the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology and Pennsylvania State University, the rotary piston engine problem is history. Read carefully: [The] design for an autonomous compact rotorcraft deployable from a submarine and intended to be used to transport special forces personnel.

Of course, who knows what DARPA's teams have been inventing? The 3 craft have a few things in common - low altitude (radar avoidance), low speed, short range and small engines. Back in May, 2006, we had speculated about an advanced SEAL delivery craft launched from submarines. The LTAC would carry more SEALs and payload, however. How large of a problem is it really for SSGNs to carry a missile tube or two of compressed helium, hmm. If you read it somewhere else, first, please enlighten us.

Submarines are always silent and strange.

Which one does not belong: The Fulda Gap, Strait of Hormuz, Northwest Passage?

Answer appears at end.

What do these geographical features have in common: The Fulda Gap, Strait of Hormuz, Northwest Passage?

You may have recognized two of the more familiar strategic choke points of the past and present. The Fulda Gap was of strategic significance to Cold War military planners, who staged armies ready to impede a hypothetical advance of Warsaw Pact troops into central Europe.

The Strait of Hormuz, as narrow as 21 miles, carries petroleum shipments between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to open ocean. Roughly 20 percent of today's world's oil supplies pass through the strait.

Now, there is a new, strategic chokepoint. The Northwest Passage is the future sea route through the Arctic coast of North America connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Resolute Bay, about 370 miles south of the North Pole, will be home to a new army training center for cold-weather fighting that will house up to 100 military personnel. The new deep-sea port will be built for navy and civilian purposes on the north end of Baffin Island. source

Astounding ...

Denmark said scientists would embark Sunday on a month long expedition seeking evidence that the Lomonosov Ridge, a 1,240-mile underwater mountain range, is attached to the Danish territory of Greenland, making it a geological extension of the Arctic island. ibid

1/5th of the world's undiscovered oil is buried under the Arctic. With the melting of ice, how soon can drilling for oil begin under the northeast shelf? At current rates of melting, drilling can begin on Greenland's northeast shelf by 2022. source

Fight for the Top of the World This summer, however, saw something new: for the first time in recorded history**, the Northwest Passage was ice-free all the way from the Pacific to the Atlantic. ... The Arctic has never been immune from politics; during the Cold War, U.S. and Soviet submarines navigated its frigid waters. ... In early September, Russian bombers launched cruise missiles during Arctic exercises. ...Sagalevich piloted one of two submersibles to a depth of 13,100 ft. (4,301 m), planted the Russian flag to "stake the place for Russia," ... Russia is already a dominant force in the Arctic; it has the world's largest fleet of icebreakers and long experience ... source

** prior to the Little Ice Age the climate was not only warmer than it is today, but Arctic sea-levels were much higher than today.[30] Land bordering the Northwest Passage has risen upwards of 20 meters (60 ft) in the centuries sincee Viking times. source

New Canadian Toll Route?

'Cold war' for Arctic spoils heats up as multiple countries stake claims The prize for Canada is clear. As global warming melts the Northwest Passage -which is navigable only during a slim window in the summer - the waters are exposing unexplored resources, and becoming an attractive shipping route. Commercial ships can shave off some 2,480 miles from Europe to Asia compared with the current routes through the Panama Canal. source

Answer: The Fulda Gap does not belong. Submarines have performed missions in both of the other two areas since the 1950s. Submarine missions by several nations in the artic have ostensibly been expanded to entail special warfare operations, and stuff that cannot be discussed.

Update September 27, 2007 1:39 a.m. EST Navy Prepares To Release New Maritime Strategy: Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information, Plans and Strategy, Vice Adm. John G. Morgan said, "America must contend with several new factors, including climate change, which is responsible for the opening of the long fabled Northwest Passage, a sea route through the Arctic Ocean along the North American coast." [bold added]

Submarines are always silent and strange.

Quote of the Week #4

Respecting religion and civilization:

"The poor will inherit the Earth - but not the minerals." - George Bush, once joking about the Beatitudes found here: source

If the Bush quote sounds cruel, your feelings are more intact than your essential thought processes.

Suppose the poor were to inherit the minerals. What then? To what use would such inheritance be? In heaven probably none, as the streets there may be paved* with it. On Earth? Only with industry (mining, extraction, conversion, technology, etc.) and an active market are minerals valuable.

But gold is a mineral, you say. Inheritance would bring instant wealth, then?

Who are the poor, and how many do they number? Consider enough gold to instantly make all the world's poor wealthy enough never to have have to labor again. What would this bring?

The resulting shortage of labor would be self-defeating. The price of labor would skyrocket (hyper-inflation) and the cost of essential goods and services would neutralize the so-called wealth. [Currently, gold's value, like that of diamonds, is kept artificially high through supply limitations reflecting industrial demand, retail demand, and other needs].

Gold and diamonds are "sure thing" investments, some say. If this conclusion expresses how you feel about precious minerals, it may indicate how calcified, complacent or brainwashed your thought processes remain. Invest in gold mining and see what happens, if the price of gold skyrockets. Or, invest directly in gold and see what happens when you (and everyone else) try to sell it at the same time. (Hint: Can a market for any goods ever be flooded?)

Muscles are not the only tissues subject to severe atrophy from disuse. Remember, supply and demand rules.

* Revelation 21:21 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

Vigilis Accuracy Torpedoes Major Blogger over the Petraeus Ad

First, a mega-blogger took little Vigilis's blog to task like Denmark's Muslims took an editor to task over another (the Mohammad) cartoon! BradF said, "your radical political views seem to have led to a difficult relationship with either facts or research on this blog."

Brad's hissy fit is attributed to his belief that the New York Times's ad rate for MoveOn's Petraeus rant was a customary rate for the level of service provided. See (BradF's) comment here. For the record, Vigilis advised BradF yesterday, "Just because the NYT had time to think of a damage control story contradicting their own executive does not mean critical thinkers will believe (or ought to believe) the latter is credible."

Now, today, the truth (again from within the New York Times) comes out. MoveOn was given a hugely favorable pricebreak on advertising for its Senate-criticized rant against General Petraeus.

NY Times ombudsman says MoveOn ad violated standards
Monday, September 24, 2007 By The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The New York Times' ombudsman says the newspaper violated its standards when it gave the liberal activist group MoveOn.org a $77,508 price break on a full-page advertisement targeting Gen. David H. Petraeus. The organization paid $64,575, instead of the standard $142,083, for the ad questioning the war in Iraq, public editor Clark Hoyt wrote in a column published Sunday. Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis told Hoyt that an advertising sales representative shouldn't have agreed to the discounted price. The ad seemed to disregard internal advertising standards that ban ads involving attacks of a personal nature, Hoyt wrote. "We made a mistake," she told Hoyt. [emphasis added]

Three Curiosities You May Have Missed

First Curiousity ...
President Hugo Chavez wants Venezuelan clocks turned back half an hour and he wants it done in record time -- next Monday. source (hat tip to Eagle1)
What you probably missed about this change: At 3:00 PM, for example, in the old Venezuelan time zone it would also have been 3:00 PM in Washington, D.C., when it would have beeen 10:30 PM in the Islamic Republic of Iran (Tehran) .

From now on, when it is 3:00 PM in Caracas and 11:00 PM in the Islamic Republic of Iran (Tehran), its going to be 3:30 PM in Washington, D.C. As I said, it is curious. 2nd news source and here is a handy time calculator for your ongoing convenience.

...UPDATE CARACAS, Venezuela Sep 28, 2007 (AP)
Iran Strengthens Ties With South America
Ahmadinejad Cements Ties With Venezuela President Chavez, Declares 'No One Can Defeat Us'
Chavez greeted the Iranian leader warmly on a red carpet in front of the presidential palace, where they both stood before microphones and let loose with rhetoric challenging Washington.

Second Curiousity ...
The following (2) stories share the same underlying, statistical flaw, yet both produce the same preposterous, politically-inspired perception of viability:

Zogby: Congress Gets Just 11% Approval, Lowest Ever : "A paltry 11 percent rated Congress positively, beating the previous low of 14 percent in July. "
This is just hype. Why? Because approval polling had not begun before Gallup first tracked public opinion of Congress with this measure in 1974. Congressional approval rating records were nonexistent prior to 1974. Viability: Do any of the presidential candidates who are current members of this same unpopular congress have a snowball's chance of winning the 2008 electiont? Biden (no), Brownback (no), Clinton (yes), Dodd (no), Edwards (no), Gravel (no), Hunter (no), Kucinich (no), Obama (no), McC'aint (no), Paul (no), Tancredo (no)? The answers are largely "No", but our mainstream media and national party organizations pursue the myth that it is "Yes".

Now consider a similar application of incomplete statistics:
Scientists this year issued a grim warning, saying that climate change is already on the march and is bound to worsen this century, heightening the risk of hunger, drought, flood and violent storms. source
Definition: Global Warming – gradual rise in the average surface temperatures of the oceans, earth and air to higher levels than ever before recorded.
FACTS: Daily temperature records were not maintained regularly before 1895. Reliable measurement and recording were still not available in most of the world until much later. See, while the actual record is limited at best to only the most recent 112 years, our mainstream media, congress and grant-grubbing scientists tells us that "Yes", global warming (or climate change) is viable. With little more than 100 years of temperature data and all of that during only the current, 12,000-year warm period between ice ages, scare mongers would have us believe that they can forecast global conditions for the next hundred years. How arrogant! If your favorite scientist had details of only yesterday’s global temperature record, how accurate would his/her forecasts of a record high temperature be for tomorrow? less than 1/100 of 1 % (Answer: Statistically irrelevant)

Third Curiousity ...
How one prediction leads logically to another:
Remember the The Move On Dot Organization Chart (cartoon)? I don't know how you feel about it. But it was published before the senate resolution. Some of the Bradz readers did not like it and tried to excuse the New York Times. The chief Bradz himself said, "...your radical political views seem to have led to a difficult relationship with either facts or research on this blog."

A minor controversy then ensued wherein I predicted "... be aware of the awful, longer term, progressive strategy that the Bradz are attempting to bring into being. Their aim (the DNC's aim) is for anyone who walks into a public library, school or public building to vote online, right there, as often as they like."

Guess what happened next (in addition to head Bradz's ad hominen attacks on Vigilis)?
The head Bradz commented, "Internet Voting would the most asinine, ridiculous, democracy-undercutting scheme every to be introduced to America. I've been critical of the DNC (to the their faces, at their '06 Chicago summer meeting) about their moves in this direction, as well as privately to their Voting Rights Institute."

To which Vigilis replied, "... denial of adopting the Dem party's ideal of online voting (and, of course, the attendant, rampant voter fraud) is now bronzed for posterity. Be assured it will be resurrected at the appropriate moment..."

Now, the necessary 2nd prediction: In order for head Bradz to be of continued use to the DNC machine he serves with my bronzed sword of Damocles hanging over his head, he will have to give up Bradz blog before the DNC assigns him water-carrying for their online voter movement. When will that be? When is any really bad idea attempted? When it offers political gain and job security to lawyers. Remember Hillary's "Health Care" during Bill's Reign?

Very curious. Who said "perception is reality"? Fooling all of the people all of the time is even beyond irresponsible bloggers.

Daring Submarine Escapade brings Quote of the Week # 3

The fugitive submarine transported the captured Estonian guards to Sweden. There, the sub's acting CO provided the two with food and money for their safe return to Estonia, stating, if one is returning from the underworld, one should travel first class only.

- Lt.Cdr. Jan Grudziński VM DSO

UPDATE: Look for the movie, now in production - Submarine Orzel: The Underground Truth (2007) Documentary about the crew of the Polish submarine 'Orzel' who fought against long odds, without a captain, maps or navigational equipment, around the German seas. They became a symbol of freedom and a rebel against the Nazi's during the early days of WWII. Written by Wouter van Opdorp.

The lighthouse keeper in Gotland, Swedish island in the Baltic, last week rescued two castaways in a dinghy who had a tale to tell. ... After three days of lurking in the Baltic, mostly submerged, with the Soviet Navy angrily searching for them, the Orzel's men set their prisoners adrift in the night upon calm water, in sight of land. Monday, Oct. 02, 1939 Submarine v. Blockade

The incident occurred at the beginning of World War II. Prior to the start of hostilities, Polish submarine Orp Orzel had been on patrol in the Baltic Sea. Unable to return to Polish naval bases at Gdynia or Hel, Orzeł had to make its way into a neutral port to offload her ailing captain.

The Orzel proceeded to Tallinn, Estonia on September 14, 1939. At Germany's insistence, Estonian authorities interned the crew, confiscated their charts and began dismantling Orzel's armament. The crew elected to recapture the ORP Orzeł, escape from Tallinn and make their way to England.

Commanded by its former XO, Lt. Cdr. Jan Grudzinski VM DSO, Orzeł escaped on September 18, with two Estonian guards taken captive. Estonian and German press coverage of the Orzeł incident declared the guards slain, yet Grudzinski took measures to secure the guards safe passage to Estonia.

Submarines are always silent and strange.

Confronting Brads Baloney Blog

The problem that intellectually honest people have with today's leftist propagandists is that the latter refuse to stand and debate. The habit of such con artists and their ilk has been to shift topics as rapidly as possible by disparaging opponents with both charges of falsehoods and rancorous name-calling. Of course, this is done without citation of the slightest facts.

In every case, they seek to elude factual arguments by calling their opponents liars. How can serious people behave so irresponsibly? Their meek, poorly educated (although most have been highly brainwashed) followers are incapable of critical thinking or even logic. Mostly female, they are steeped in swift emotional response (reactions).

Brad's Blog deserves an award for fooling most of its followers most of the time. Here is an example of Brad (Friedman's) Blog endorsements:

"One of the most informative progressive voices in the alternative media!"- Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (Congressman Conyers is a lawyer, of course, part of 2% of the population that disproportionately and self-servingly infests our Congress).

Friedman's website, covets U.S. voting issues, but spews forth on every subject in the left-wing's playbook. In addition to Rep. John Conyers praise, Air America may sometime have endorsed the Brad Blog. The site is generally critical of Diebold Election Systems, ES&S and electronic voting in general.

Vigilis has taken Brad's frontmen to task for positions that, rather than fostering voters rights, foster voting fraud. Yes, I have been called a liar and worse by their legions of female followers.

And my readers should be aware of the awful, longer term, progressive strategy that the Bradz are attempting to bring into being. Their aim (the DNC's aim) is for anyone who walks into a public library, school or public building to vote online, right there, as often as they like. Just who would these "honest" voters mark on their electronic ballots? Take a guess and mark my words.
So there you have my very critical endorsement of Brads Blog, and remember I am not a registered Republican or a Democrat! Here is my message to the bad braz (Brads Blog) faithful; it is replete with citations:

http://aquilinefocus.blogspot.com/2007/09/move-on-dot-organization-chart.html

Try to be intellectually unbiased once in a while, Bradz Babies.

Submariners' Informal Cross-Training is Abundant

Submarine crews were (and probably still are) unique brotherhoods. To be sure, almost no one felt anyone else's style, background, talents or appreciation for off-duty discipine were up to his own. Since the boat's missions and your very life depended on these characters, however, you naturally taught the ones who knew less and learned from those who knew more in an atmosphere of perpetual expectation and learning. Qualification in submarines was one thing, but there were always going to be systems alterations and finer points to master.

When our sub was reassigned to the opposite coast, the crew was advised of what effects the household moving companies would haul and not. We had a bunch of fellows from New England states, mostly FTs and TMs, who owned what they called arsenals. Special permissions were granted to convey these very nifty, personal firearms onboard the sub.

During the voyage there was frequent inspection and discussion of the most prized pieces (we are talking collectible gems), which not only had been handed down from great granddad, but acquired new in ports worldwide. Do you think these collectors could not shoot in their own right? They took their shooting skills very seriously. Many were also reloaders (one collected our empty toothpaste tubes for the lead). For frequent shooters, reloading not only holds costs down, it provides the opportunity to experiment with and perfect loads. Bothenook , ELT, was not one of the coast-to-coast transfers, but some of his related blogs indicate he would have been.

Every submariner I knew had a fascinating skill or education well beyond the Navy's requirements. One of our junior R.O.s , for instance, was a degreed electronics engineer. One electrician knew astounding facts about WW2 naval history down to individual battleships (his hobby). A junior RM had his masters in classical music. One Machinist Mate had memorized 100s of FSNs (11-digit federal stock numbers used before NSNs) for all of the pumps and equipment he had ever maintained.

Have I mentioned the wardroom? We had an officer who accurately and rapidly performed P-K solutions in his head. Just a sampling of the crew.

Submariners, you see, know things inside and out. Here are some very practical, money-saving tidbits that reminded me of the submariner's approach to learning. Apparently, MacGyver ingenuity never goes away, because only the last one was news to me:

Disassemble 9v battery as cheap source of six 1.5v AAA or AAAA batteries: Watch the video (1 min) CAUTION: make sure your 9v battery tests good, first.

Disassemble a single 6 volt battery (about $6) as a cheap source of 32 AA batteries: Watch the video (1 min) CAUTION: some heavy duty 6v batteries contain no AA batteries. Also, make

sure your 6v battery tests good, first.

Test your remote control's batteries (or identify some hidden heat sources) with a digital camera: Watch the video (1 min)

Build a quick fire without a match or lighter: Watch the video (1 min) here. Fantastic!

Four of the guys from the crew and the submarine in the photo above never made it to their new home port, even though the war had been over.

Submarines are always silent and strange.

The Move On Dot Organization Chart - UPDATE

Juan Caruso reserves no other rights in and grants free dissemination of this opinion cartoon PROVIDED that it is reproduced unaltered, as shown above.

Let's not forget (September 13, 2007): New York Times Gave MoveOn.org Discount for 'Betray Us' Ad source

and UPDATE:

On Sept. 20, 2007, Molten Eagle added this headline for all patriotic Americans to joyously CELEBRATE: Senate Condemns "General Betray Us" Ad

Submarine Longshots of Yesteryear

Today's cruise missiles sport accurate ranges exceeding 500 nautical miles with precision and compactness making them suitable for submarine armament, unlike the world's first cruise missiles. Germany's V-1 rockets, introduced in 1944 with a range of only about 120 nautical miles, are considered the first.

The longest successful submarine warshot during WW1 was by Fregattenkapitän Hans Rose in command of U-53. On December 6, 1917 Rose torpedoed and sank the first American destroyer lost during WW1. Rose's torpedo struck USS Jacob Jones from 1-1/2 nautical miles, the longest successful torpedo shot on record, at that time, some 23 years before radar. Interestingly, however, in 1889, Captain Arthur Krebs designed an electric pendular gyroscope for the experimental French submarine Gymnote, enabling the sub to breach a naval blockade in 1890. Refined gyroscope technology eventually led to the V-1's gyromagnetic compass guidance system in 1944.

Evading escort vessels, LCDR Thomas 'Burt" Klakring commanding USS Guardfish (SS-217) found a convoy Sept. 3, 1942. Guardfish sank 5,253-ton Kaimei Maru and 1,118-ton Tenyu Maru. The Chita Maru, a 2,376-ton freighter, retreated and anchored in Kinkasan Harbor. In one of the war's longest torpedo shots, Guardfish sank the Chita Maru from over 3 nautical miles (7,500 yards). This was the year after serious depth flaws in U.S. torpedoes had finally been proven and properly fixed.

On April 7, 1943, USS STRONG (DD 467) sank a Japanese submarine. A few months later, on July 6, 1943, the STRONG was torpedoed in the Kula Gulf, by a Japanese destroyer from a range of more than 6 nautical miles (in one of the longest torpedo shots of WW2). Neither 3 enemy destroyers nor a Long Lance torpedo (launched 15 minutes and three radical course changes earlier) had been detected in time for evasion!

Guardfish decommissioned in 1946, remaing inactive until 18 June 1948, when she was placed "in service" served as a Naval Reserve Training Ship in New London. She was finally stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 1960. One of the most successful WW2 submarines performed her last service as a lowly target for Dogfish and Blenny. The diesel subs sank Guardfish with newly developed torpedoes off New London in 1961.

Submarines are always silent and strange.

No Submarines, but Adventurers, Mandatory Silence and "The Sea-Wolf", Nevertheless

In prior decades journalists would have been able to inform the public when the subject had been diagnosed with a medical ailment that might lead to tragic (suicidal) depression. News quotations in those days were usually obtained from family members or even M.D.'s. Those days are history.

The compliance date for HIPAA's Privacy Rule, Medical Privacy - National Standards to Protect the Privacy of Personal Health, was April 14, 2003.

Question: Did HIPAA make it easier for police and law enforcement agencies to get my medical information?

Answer: No. The Rule does not expand current law enforcement access to individually identifiable health information. In fact, it limits access to a greater degree than currently exists, since the Rule establishes new procedures and safeguards that restrict the circumstances under which a covered entity may give such information to law enforcement officers. For example, the Rule limits the type of information that covered entities may disclose to law enforcement, absent a warrant or other prior process, when law enforcement is seeking to identify or locate a suspect. It specifically prohibits disclosure of DNA information for this purpose, absent some other legal requirements such as a warrant. [emphasis added]

Why might a suicide's spouse not wish to reveal such information, in any case? Several reasons come to mind. Foremost would be the natural desire to keep personal communications private. An additional consideration, of course, could be that revelation would invite further questions (e.g. had there been a suicide note; where is it, and what does it say; had a large life insurance policy on the subjects life been purchased recently, and by whom?).

Of 651 celebrities and famous people who may have committed suicide, 5 (0.8%) were explorers or adventurers, including Meriwether Lewis , who was related to President Washington, and George Washington Vanderbilt, III, who was not. Several authors, including Jack London, who gave us The Sea-Wolf , committed suicide (he had been in extreme pain for which he was taking morphine).

The foregoing is background information only. We must avoid temptations to apply it to particular missing person cases. Sometimes, comparisons of (recent with earlier) photographs reveals profound deterioration of health visible in the eyes alone. Just a thought for those who might be curious, who may see what I mean.

Insider Information FYI

Our friend Juan Caruso missed Molten Eagle's deadline for quote of the week by non-lawyers.
We place Juan's contribution in the FYI category.

Juan Caruso advises us on what the org in MoveOn's web name actually means to insiders. We thought the .org stood for organization. That is actually pretty close. In fact, the org is short for organ. Which organ, the mouth?

No replied Juan, the bowel. So then, "MoveOn" refers to cleansing and purging of the bowels.

Oh, well. That seemed bipartisan, and we needed no more details about it. Thanks again, Juan.

Update: Female Submarine Diver(s)

September 13, 2007 - Aussie diver in hospital after Gallipoli sub salvage accident The woman was working with a joint Australian and Turkish team studying the wreck, which sunk in 1915 during the Gallipoli campaign.

Updated Fri Sep 14, 2007 - The woman was working with a joint Australian and Turkish team studying the wreck, which sunk in 1915 during the Gallipoli campaign. A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman says first reports are that the 35-year-old experienced equipment problems, and after resurfacing, was rushed to hospital where she is in a stable condition.

-----------------------------------------------------------

M.E. is cheered that the above diver's condition is stable and we certainly wish this young lady the most complete and speediest recovery possible.

Scuba diving is not a very familiar topic to non-divers. The question was asked about comparative safety and accident rates for female versus male divers. Readers should be relieved to know that there seem to be no significant gender differences (except during later pregnancy).

DOES ONE'S SEX AFFECT SCUBA DIVING? "There are two answers to this important question. The short answer is "no." Much has been written about the difference between men and women divers, and no self respecting dive columnist would stop with such a simple answer. But the fact is, the differences between men and women regarding scuba diving are, with one exception, minor and not significant." Lawrence Martin, M.D. here

Diving Accidents. Analyses of Underlying Variables "Older divers were disproportionately and appropriately assigned to deep dives." NAVAL HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER SAN DIEGO CA here

Scuba Diving Accidents in Japan:

A Review and Approach for the Forensic Pathologist.

"In the last 10 years, an average of 51 and 25 people was involved in accidents and killed each year, respectively. The ratio of male to female was 2.5..." MUKAI TOSHIJI (et al) here

Whew!

Quotations of the Week by non-Lawyers #2

“I would rather be beat on and be a man than to be elected and be a little puppy dog.”

- Col. David Crockett, Better known as Davy Crockett (1786 – 1836), 19th-century American hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. Represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives; served in the Texas Revolution; died, at age 49, in the Battle of the Alamo.

The M-388 'Davy Crockett' was a tactical nuclear weapon deployed by the U.S. Army from 1961 - 71, during the Cold War. One of the smallest nuclear weapons ever built, M388 produced instantly lethal radiation (> 10,000 rem) within 500 feet of impact, and fatal dosages (> 600 rem) within up to 500 yards. The yield of this weapon was adjustable within crude increments. It was once test-fired over a distance of 1.7 miles. source

Designed for use against Soviet troops in West Germany, the tripod launched weapon could be used by small teams stationed every few kilometers to thwart Soviet invasions. Production of the Davy Crockett began in 1956, with a total of 2,100 being made. more

Was the M-388 ever deployed aboard a conventional submarine? If anyone knew, would they be able to tell you?

Submarines are always silent and strange.

Unpatriotic, No! Kos founder and Senate Libs = Mostly Lawyers = Too Many Cooks in the "Kitchen"

Liberals and RINOs figure that our excessive nuclear arsenal, international diplomacy or criminal law can protect the United States in perpetuity.

SO WRONG: In the current ideological war on Islamist terror, reliance on nukes, international diplomacy and criminal law are almost useless. Leadership, as history repeatedly informs us, is required, as in a strong (not perfect) Commander-in Chief.

There are no nuclear targets lawyers approve, however, due to enduring collateral damage and world opinion considerations. Yet, these same Liberals and RINOs steadfastly chink world perception of the real U.S. alternative, a resolve to fight terrorism with our seasoned military's traditional willingness to achieve victory through heroic sacrifices.

As to dipomatic negotiation, exactly which nation state of the world's Muslim nations is credibly able to or even wishes to neutralize Osama bin Ladin, Al Qaeda, or Wahhabism?

Finally, using criminal law to fight terrorism ensures terrorism will exist in perpetuity (trial lawyer job security), doesn't it? How effective are trial lawyers at ordinary, domestic crime? Think: shorter sentencing, plea bargaining, early release, parole, insanity defense, plausible innocense, etc. Do these trial lawyer's tactics impact recidivism? Hmm!

Liberals and RINOs insist they not be termed unpatriotic.

I agree with them, unpatriotic is an entirely inappropriate adjective for them. 'Moronic' better describes their pitiful positions. Actually, however, lawyers is what most of these Senators actually are, and what we should remember. The followers of the Daily Kos's (founder is lawyer) mindless screed are the trial attorney's ideal jury members, the hoi polloi.

Of course, if I am wrong in my assessment, someone avowing not to have attended law school will offer a reasoned opinion to the contrary. And, to prove that they are also not hoi polloi, they will be obliged to offer substantive facts without their usual foul language or non sequitors (Kos's tactic) to end public debate. Any takers out there?

Week End Wrap-Up - Breaking Submarine and Other Events Interpreted ...

About Submariner Morale
This certainly helps: Lone South African Submarine "Defeats" NATO Fleet
A lone South African submarine has left the NATO Maritime Group red faced when it "won" against a fleet of NATO and South African ships in an exercise. The exercise between NATO and South Africa took place off the Cape Coast. source

Now the problem ... Who says such success is all that unusual? Ever wonder why?

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US NAVY AIP Submarine Pressure Growing source
Further complicating the matter is that fighting against a diesel-electric boat is significantly different from fighting against a nuclear boat. And the United States, by its lack of such combatants, hasn't been able to fully prepare for any such conflicts. In late years, we've had to "borrow" diesel-electric boats from our NATO allies to use as sparring partners -- and we haven't been as invincible as we'd like to think we are. ... the new Virginia-class boats are running on the high side of two billion dollars apiece -- we might not be able to carve out money for a modern diesel-electric boat. Currently, we're adding one new boat a year, with plans to double that production in 2012 -- but that's doubtful. In the meantime, we're retiring our older boats a smidgen faster than that.

and

The diesel submarine may be the leading "Cinderella weapon" of the 21st century. It gets no respect in the United States or Russia. But China, India, France, Germany and Israel are all betting on it big time. source

Finally,
AIP can be retrofitted into existing diesel submarine hulls by insertion of a new hull section. source

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Bin Laden Counterfeit
Latest Osama Bin Laden taped message is a cheap fraud probably authored by someone else (unless Osama moved to Oxnard, his current message lost the ring of his peculiar speech patterns and authenticity. The current transcript sounds more like that of (ex-Californian) American Muslim IRS fugitive Adam Gadahn. Notice the stark, secular differences:

Sep. 2007 from transcript obtained by ABCNews:
Bin Laden counterfeit: "To conclude," bin Laden says, "I invite you to embrace Islam." He goes on to say: "There are no taxes in Islam, but rather there is a limited Zakaat [alms] totaling 2.5 percent."

Jan. 2006 from Al-Jazeera via BBC News:
"Jihad is continuing, praise be to God, despite all the repressive measures the US army and its agents take to the point where there is no significant difference between these crimes and those of Saddam."

Nov. 2004 from Al-Jazeera transcript via CNN.com
Bin Laden: "We are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah," bin Laden said in the transcript.

Mar. 1997 from CNN's transcript of Peter Arnett interview:
We are confident, with the permission of God, Praise and Glory be to Him, that Muslims will be victorious in the Arabian peninsula and that God's religion, praise and glory be to Him, will prevail in this peninsula.

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Why did Steve Fossett commit suicide? Does his personal MD know?
The Waihopai Valley resident said this morning that he and other glider pilots think it's strange that Mr Fossett has been unable to call out on the channels used by airlines.
"It's something most of us have done when we've got into trouble and are out of cellphone range. It's surprising he hasn't been able to do that."

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Questions Remain Over Nuclear-Armed B-52 Over Midwest
..."there is a belief among many seasoned military experts that there is much more to this reported story than meets the eye." There is informed speculation that the movement of the nuclear weapons to Barksdale was leaked because the air force base is a staging area for deployment to the Middle East. The Pentagon recently drew up plans to hit 1200 targets inside Iran in a massive bombardment campaign aimed at destroying its military and overthrowing its government. The movement of the nuclear weapons may have been an alert to the public by disgruntled members of the military that such plans would include the pre-emptive use of nuclear weapons.

Really? No, the pre-emptive motivation is pure poppycock. The incident does send an unusual heads-up somewhere, however. Let's see, who can that be? Iran, Putin, ... the selection seems endless. We are not about to nuke Iran when their own nuclear accidents are about to do that for us. Putin, then? He says Russia's recent bomber flights were flown without nuke weapons onboard. Suppose our satellites detected otherwise? Gee, are they that sensitive? Why does the public have to know such?

Quotations of the Week by non-Lawyers #1

From Six Years Later ...What progress has a year brought us?

The flimsiest of connections to national security serve as justification for under- funding essential projects, and in the bizarro-world of Capitol Hill it is the Pentagon and intelligence community – not bacon-carving legislators - that are lambasted when they present their proposed budgets.

- Michael Tanji Michael holds a B.S. from Hawaii Pacific University, and an M.A. from The George Washington University.

Russian Submariner Photo Mysteries

In September 2005's The Submarine Service - A Relatively Small World we addressed a photo mystery from the interior (control room) of an unidentified, conventional submarine:

From Lubber, we learned that the foreign sub was soviet and that the officer on the periscope was Russian Commodore Joel Bubbleheadski. The good Commodore commented: "What the hell's that red thing I got hanging in front of my crotch?"

We assumed the red cannister (oxygen, vodka) was an artifact of a bygone era. Why we must never assume:

Notice the recent photo above of Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin inspecting some of his Pacific Fleet submariners. What is it that they are all wearing on their web belts? The red mystery objects are clearly not artifacts from a bygone era, they are standard issue of today's Russian submariners, too. Would you worldly navy types (Canada, U.K., Russia, etc.) kindly advise your American brothers the purpose of Russia's mystery objects (oxygen, vodka, spring water, dosimetry kits, spare primary coolant, n.o.s., etc.) ?

Next, notice the submariners saluting Putin (in the same row as those not). Is this an indication of a discipline lapse (very doubtful) in proper military etiquette by the Russian submariners, or is a faithful performance of a more complex custom than Americans practice?

Finally, is Commodore Bubbleheadski (pictured above at the periscope) also the 4th guy from the left in Putin's line-up, or is it his twin brother?

The So Silent it is The Mute Service? - Part 3

Here is the final clue:
What participating Nato countries with operational submarines, about which we rarely get any news, are missing from this listing (including its Europe submenu)?

And, as promised, here is the point of the riddle:
Classified knowledge is compartmentalized when there is need and time enough to do so. Nowhere has the role of safeguarding national interests been performed with more diligence and finesse than in the silent service.

Still don't understand? A civilian version of what military submarining has been about might help:
Suppose you are a subway passenger who for two to three months at a time travels the underground tube system without lighted station stops and without telephone contacts to the sunlit, comfort above. During this travel, you perform a full-time job in close concert with a highly skilled team. Upon returning home, you must: (1) discover what happened in the topside world since your travel began; and (2) never explain (if you even know)where you had actually been, whom you had met, or what, if anything, your travel had accomplished. Of course, most civilians would never volunteer for such zany travel, while submariners do missions routinely in a demonstrably harsher environment.

Such sacrifices add up over the years. Enough so that when people like Ariel Weinmann or John Anthony Walker betray (or attempt to) their country's classified secrets, or others want to advise the world of national secrets held dear by patriots, we seethe with knowing intolerance.

If you succeed in finding a final answer to the country riddle (which answer will never be posted, confirmed nor unambiguously developed by this blog) please keep it to yourself. Only future events (if and when published) will ever disclose or confirm the accuracy of your answer. That, my friends, it how it feels to be a submariner. I had to omit a lot of interesting details in writing this, but you may still get the flavor.

If you are a submariner, unless you find the answer to the riddle, this exercise was no real eyeopener for you. If you have never been a submariner, however, you have just received a slight taste of what the silent in silent service means to its dedicated volunteers. Compartmentalization of classified knowledge is just as important to safeguarding national security as structural compartmentalization is to watertight integrity. Both are too desirable and expensive in terms of tax dollars and personal sacrifices to be wantonly compromised by arrogant traitors or flippant politicians. - Molten Eagle

Our Country versus Their Caliphate

Back in January, 2007, I posted about Navy Cross recipient Aubrey McDade. This American and his family are welcomed in my home anytime, whereas lawyers and politicians are generally prohibited.

We must all be encouraged that our country continues to produce men of Aubrey's stellar stature despite years of adverse, liberal, left-wing propaganda. Courage of this magnitude is essentially all that assures our unique nation will continue to be what our forefathers intended.

God bless you, Sergeant McDade, and millions of your countrymen thank you heartily. - Vigilis

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The action must take place under one of three circumstances:
1. While engaged in action against an enemy of the United States 2. While engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force 3. While serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

To earn a Navy Cross the act to be commended must be performed in the presence of great danger or at great personal risk and must be performed in such a manner as to render the individual highly conspicuous among others of equal grade, rate, experience, or position of responsibility. An accumulation of minor acts of heroism does not justify an award of the Navy Cross. As originally authorized, the Navy Cross could be awarded for distinguished non-combat acts, but legislation of August 7, 1942 limited the award to acts of combat heroism.

Originally the Navy Cross was the Navy's third-highest decoration, after the Medal of Honor and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. In August 1942 Congress revised the precedence, making the Navy Cross senior to the Distinguished Service Medal. Since that time the Navy Cross has been worn after the Medal of Honor and before all other decorations.

The So Silent it is The Mute Service? - Part 2

Want to better understand submarines? Let recent quotations from the Kitsap Sun clarify some rarely mentioned stuff by way of essential background for you:

"...years plying the depths of the ocean, conducting missions so secret former crew members and officers believe the details of its adventures will never be known" -- even to those who were there. [emphasis added]

"Often as the crew focused on completing their jobs, they had no idea what they were doing or where they were", said Will Longman, chairman of the Parche Association.

Obviously, the USS Parche was not the only cold war submarine to conduct clandestine operations. In fact, it would be fairly safe to say virtually all U.S. subs did so to some extent, from time to time. It is just that as the "most decorated submarine in Navy history", it was obvious something would finally have to be admitted about the nature of Parche's unexplained awards. "The success of this submarine was truly a national commitment of organizations, people, teams and equipment that will probably never be completely understood, appreciated or recognized,"said Retired Rear Admiral Richard A. Buchanan, who commanded the USS Parche (SSN-683) from 1984 to 1988.

Given this background of ultra-secrecy, what might it mean when a country, a NATO member no less, operates submarines that we rarely, if ever, hear anything about?

Commenter Sturgeon opined here ...
Hmm, my bet would be Canada, but I'll patiently await your post.

Sturgeon's bet is on the mark, so far. My suggestion to all curious readers is to compare the listing of nations with operational submarines to nations with active NATO membership (yes, Canada, the U.K. and others certainly meet both of those threshold tests). Now, consider which of the remaining nations have we rarely read news accounts about for a rather long time? Eliminate the ones with fleets in overhaul, drydock, rusting at piers or short of crews.

Following the steps above reduces the many candidates to just a few. No final answer will ever be posted, confirmed or unambiguously developed, here.

What is the point of this little riddle, then? Next time, your final clue and the point of the riddle.