Halloween Mystery Questions 10/31/2011: Test Your Submarine Knowledge

Claustrophobia (Background)
Fear of inability to escape closed spaces. An acute, debilitating anxiety disorder leading to panic attack marked / brought on by occupancy of crowded elevators, small, windowless rooms, entrapment situations, enclosed spaces with limited/stagnant air supply, etc.

Submarine candidates traditionally undergo a variety of tests to assure persons with potential panic attack disorders are disqualified from submarine consideration. Symptoms of panic disorders include sweating, rapid pulse, shortness of breath, trembling, light-headedness or fainting, nausea, and feelings of dread, terror, or panic.

Outward signs of claustrophobia may include these giveaways: Standing near an exit in crowded venues; compulsively looking for exits or becoming anxious when doors (or hatches) are shut; avoiding elevators, or subway, airplane, or auto transportation (in heavy traffic).


QUESTIONS of the WEEK:

1. The average MRI examination requires almost 50 minutes, more than enough time for extreme fear and anxiety to set in among claustrophobic patients. About what percentage of patients (range __ to __ %) refuse to undergo MRI scans due to claustrophobic anxiety?

2. What percentage of the world population in general is estimated to be affected by severe claustrophobia (range __ to __ %)?

3. Is there any difference in the frequency of claustrophobia between male and female populations?

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Now, take a look at this 980-feet deep, inverted-pyramid shaped, subterranean building proposed for crowded Mexico City. Of its 65 underground stories, the first 10 will be for a museum, the next lower 10 leased for homes and tourist shops, and the lowest 35 for offices. Some of us may instinctively wish to avoid the smallest spaces near the narrow, deepest end of this future attraction until certain engineering questions have been satisfied.

4. How does the temperature gradient of the Earthscraper compare to that of a submarine at a depth 980-f00t depth? In the event that mechanical ventilation in the Earthscraper fails, would the natural temperature at the deepest be cooler or hotter than on the top floor of the structure at midnight?

5. What two types of catastrophic hazards connected with such an inverted building are most likely to be anticipated and safeguarded against by its architects?


ANSWERS: Monday, 7 Nov 2011.

Submarines are always silent and strange.

Russia's Curious Borei SSBN

Russia's Borei class (lead vessel, Yuriy Dolgorukiy) are ballistic missile subs designed to replace the Delta III, Delta IV and Typhoon classes. The name Borei comes from the Russian Boreas, or North wind.

The Sevmashpredpriyatiye shipbuilding plant launched the first Project 955 submarine, Yuri Dolgorukiy, on 15 April 2007. The vessel appeared to have been incomplete at the time, lacking forward planes on its bow or sail.

Officially, the Borei class is less detectable to sonar than it's predecessors. Other advances include pump jet propulsion powered by an OK-650 series nuclear reactors.

Oddities

The city of Moscow sponsored the lead vessel named after Prince Dolgoruky, the traditional founder of the city. Wages of shipyard workers and the crew of the new boat were reportedly guaranteed by the city of Moscow in the event that the federal government could not pay.

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Russia's 2006 state defense order allotted some 8 billion rubles to the construction of nuclear submarines, while other shipbuilding received just 4 billion rubles. Minister Vladislav Putilin, deputy chairman of the Military Industrial Commission told Kommersant that construction of five missile-bearing nuclear submarines was planned over the next 9 years.

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"New" Russian submarines built from parts salvaged from older subs
The two newest Russian ballistic missile submarines, the Yuri Dolgoruky and Alexander Nevsky due for sea trials this fall in the White Sea, are partly partly from boats older than 20 years.
According to the Russian newspaper Rossiskaya Gazeta, front and rear sections of Borei class boats were recovered from unfinished submarines of Akula and Lynx design.

The hull of the 2nd submarine of the Borey class, the Aleksandr Nevsky, is also based on that of an Akula submarine that was never completed. The Aleksandr Nevsky began its first sea trials last Saturday.

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The French Portal des sous-marins and GlobalSecurity articles linked above both make the point that Russia has been particularly cash-strapped. The Portal, however, in mentioning use of recovered bow and stern sections hints what cost savings may have been effected without significant loss of either ship worthiness or advanced capabilities, as independent study of the older class subs may suggest.

Submarines are always silent and strange.

Gang infiltration on Submarines not likely

M.E. has always considered the navy Submarine Force an elite unit, and the FBI's 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment – Emerging Trends report notwithstanding, that opinion has not changed.

Gang infiltration of the military continues to pose a significant criminal threat, as members of at least 53 gangs have been identified on both domestic and international military installations ...

No one is talking about the A-Gang or Blue crews here. The FBI indicates infiltration of units like Army Special Forces (by East Side Longos), the Air Force and Marines (by Warlocks), the Coast Guard (by Red Devils) , and the Navy (by the Peckerwoods), to name only a small sampling.

According to the FBI report, several U.S. gangs now "advise members without criminal records to join the military for necessary weapons and combat training." Military deployments, in the event, end up placing gang members alongside other members of the armed forces on active duty.

Gang members within the U.S. military has resulted in "incidents of weapons theft and trafficking," the FBI warns, which "may have a negative impact on public safety or pose a threat to law enforcement officials."

Interestingly, is this news from TSSBP: PED [personal electronic devices] Owning SubPac Submariners SOL? What, if any is the connection?

Submarines are always silent and strange.

Feeding the Sharks? An Ongoing Cover-Up - Part V

Anyone familiar with Molten Eagle knows our steadfast opposition to women crew on nuclear subs is nothing new.

In fact, ME's non-PC stance has some support in related developments within the international space program.

How could so much negative news be suppressed? Like the future unavailability of the military draft (legislation could reinstate it in an instant, but the resulting litigation, although a windfall for trial lawyers, would be devastating for the country. Such politically incorrect topics have been virtually banned from publication by mainstream editors.

Getting back to the U.S. space program, we are at another interesting juncture, similar to the status of our nevermore available military draft:

The Competitive Space Task Force points out that spending billions of taxpayer funds to try to create a new Government launcher to replicate/replace existing/proven private American boosters directly violates NASA’s charter, the Space Act, and the 1998 Commercial Space Act requirements for NASA to pursue the "fullest possible engagement of commercial providers" and to “seek and encourage, to the maximum extent possible, the fullest commercial use of space”. source

Guess what will happen when commercial launch systems begin to transport humans (especially females) to Mars? Like the fiscal crisis of 2008, and the Deepwater Horizon Spill in 2009, neither Congress nor the President will hold themselves responsible for failures they failed to regulate.

Like the fiscal crisis of 2008, and the Deepwater Horizon Spill of 2009, however, litigation will ensue year after year. There is no difference in males and females? Why have you not heard about this recommended study? It is simply not politically correct for U.S. consumption. The U.S. government will not touch it. As an alternative, women on nuclear submarines is intended to provide similar results. Goody, goody!

Submarines are always silent and strange.

Fateful Submarine Quotes of this Month

October 1, 2011 - The Salt Lake Tribune - U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney - Navy explores longer submarine deployments
When President Obama said ‘unique capabilities,’ what he was really referring to was the USS Scranton, the Providence and the Florida, which in a matter of an hour obliterated Gadhafi’s air defenses.
Category: Assuring males beg for female crewmates.


October 11, 2011 - Brahmand.com - Russia's Nerpa sub to start final sea trials in October
Category: Finality could be a definite possibility for this ill-fated vessel.


October 17, 2011 - Herald Sun - Ian McPhedran - Collins Class submarines most expensive ever to go to sea
AUSTRALIA'S troubled Collins Class submarines are more than twice as expensive to operate as US Navy nuclear submarines that are more than three times bigger.
Category: apples and oranges


October 20, 2011 - The Diplomat - David Axe - China’s Overhyped Sub Threat
Beijing’s submarine fleet is not as big or powerful as US military planners once feared. Have its blue-water ambitions been overstated?
Category: Would military planners ever have made such a mistake, or was the fear intentional?


Submarines are always silent and strange.

Mystery Questions (and major prediction) of the Week

Background
Acting out is a psychological term describing individuals unable to manage anti-social impulses. Impaired individuals lack self-control mechanisms and appear uncivilized. Specific uncontrolled actions are not only damaging (criminal and/or addictive), but substitute for development of any constructive responses.

08/09/2011 - (hat tip: Contrary in Texas)

Muslims in Spain Declare Jihad on Dogs

Spanish authorities are investigating the recent deaths by poisoning of more than a dozen dogs in Lérida, a city in the northeastern region of Catalonia that has become ground zero in an intensifying debate over the role of Islam in Spain. Local residents say Muslim immigrants killed the dogs because according to Islamic teaching dogs are "unclean" animals. ... 50 local residents have established alternating six-person citizen patrols to escort people walking their dogs.

Relevance to Park51 (originally Cordoba House); aka 9-11 and Ground Zero Mosque

In July, two Islamic groups based in Lérida asked city officials to regulate the presence of dogs in public spaces so they do not "offend Muslims." Muslims are demanding that dogs be banned from all forms of public transportation including all city buses as well as from all areas frequented by Muslim immigrants.

Muslims in Lérida say the presence of dogs violates their religious freedom [emphasis mine] and their right to live according to Islamic principles. [ibid].

QUESTIONS of the Week:

Disclaimer: Apologies in advance to all peaceful Muslims, peaceful cannibals, peaceful headhunters, peaceful psychopaths and peaceful dictators, peaceful Klingons, peaceful Yeti, etc.

1) Will resident's of NYC (which has a pooper-scooper law) be banned from walking their dogs in the vicinity of Park51 since the project's organizers have affirmed that the site is intended to be "a platform for multi-faith dialogue to promote inter-community peace, tolerance and understanding locally in New York City, nationally in America, and globally"?

ANSWER (Predictable?): No, of course not. Soon after the 13-story Muslim community center opens, Muslims will ask NYC to regulate the presence of dogs in public spaces so they do not "offend Muslims." Muslims will also demand (again) that dogs be banned from all forms of public transportation including city buses as well as from all areas frequented by Muslim immigrants. So much for multi-faith intentions, inter-community peace, tolerance and understanding.

2) According to Islamic teaching dogs are unclean animals. Do Islamic teachings ban pet dogs?
ANSWER: Yes, obviously.


3) Since dogs are banned in Muslim communities, what have Muslims been stepping in for centuries that requires so much foot washing?
ANSWER: Good question!

Submarines are always silent and strange.

"Never let a serious crisis go to waste." Okay, we won't!

"Never let a serious crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it's an opportunity to do things you couldn't do before." - White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Nov. 9, 2008

TAXPAYER CAUTION: The following post describes billing by potentially exuberant lawyers. Those under a physician's care should assure their current dosage has been administered before reading further! [Emphasis mine]

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September 29, 2011 - WASHINGTON (Reuters)

Audit Questions Millions in Fees for Legal Work in Bank Bailout

The federal government’s bank bailout program paid more than $9 million in legal fees to law firms that submitted questionable bills with little or no details on services provided, the agency’s watchdog said in a report released on Thursday.

The special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program said auditors questioned $8.1 million of a sampling of $9.1 million in bills from four law firms paid by Treasury’s Office of Financial Stability.

Particularly problematic were $5.8 million in fees and expenses billed by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett without any detail of work performed,” the report said.

Fee problems from law firms assisting the Treasury Department have been more prevalent than previously known.

Asked for comment on the report, a Simpson Thacher spokeswoman e-mailed a statement saying the firm’s lawyers were “honored” to work with the Treasury “during an unprecedented and extremely challenging time.” The statement added that “our team of highly qualified lawyers worked closely with the Treasury staff on a daily basis to structure and implement [the Troubled Asset Relief Program] that played a key role in stabilizing the US financial system.” source The BLT -David Ingram

Submarines are always silent and strange.

Take a wild guess why most have not heard about this before now

Sunrise Academy is a non-profit, tax-exempt institution founded by Charles Emor. Mr. Emor recently pleaded guilty to a wire fraud scheme.

Emor was accused of diverting government-issued funds from Sunrise’s bank accounts between January 2006 and November 2010. Prosecutors charged that Emor bilked the government out of more than $2.3 million. of approximately $30 million received under contracts with the District of Columbia.

Sunrise Academy sued The Great American Insurance Co. in D.C. Superior Court last month over whether Great American is obligated to cover more than $200,000 in criminal defense costs the school incurred during a grand jury investigation.

Let's review:

The founder of a non-profit, tax exempt organization diverted over $2 million of U.S. government funds somewhere else. Sunrise Academy wants an insurer to pay its legal defense costs connected with the administrative malfeasance.

Very convenient planning by someone with a criminal mind, wouldn't you think? Your guesses are as good as mine.

Consider: What might motivate such a large diversion of federal funds? What might account for the fact that few in the public ever heard about the crime? Is there anything special about the school we are not told? Perhaps someone does not want the public to jump to any false conclusions. Sunrise Academy educates young males between the ages of 7 and 22.

Submarines are always silent and strange.