As the holiday season approaches, I think back to my childhood and the times enjoyed with my family.
National
“The Kellys, like thousands of other military families over the last decade, have felt the heartbreak of war in the most profound way possible.”
— Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, speaking Monday in Miami of his outgoing senior military assistant, Marine General John Kelly, and his wife, Karen, as Kelly became chief of U.S. Southern Command. Their son, Marine 2nd Lt. Robert M. Kelly, 29, was killed by a land mine while on a foot patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, two years ago this month.
U.S. Stamp Prices to Increase by 1 Cent
With less than two months left until 2013, people are probably starting to consider their New Year’s resolutions: giving up smoking, going on a diet, spending less money or more time with their families.
Why the Pentagon Costs So Much…
We all grumble about how much the U.S. military costs to run. When we do, we tend to focus on troops (pay, health care, benefits, retirement) and weapons (costly stealth coatings, turbine tank engines, electro-magnetic launchers …
“Improved Ram Air Canopy systems, in particular when used in High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) parachute insertion operations, have extended and continue to extend the parachutist's time aloft. Future insertion operations could exceed 60 minutes from aircraft exit to ground.”
— The Army, explaining why it is in the market for an Advanced High Altitude Parachutist Oxygen Breathing System.
“Bomber Versus Bomber”
Army Major Miguel Torres spent two tours in Iraq – 2003-2004, and 2007-2008 — doing one of the most important missions there: disabling roadside bombs. You know something is becoming a major problem for the U.S. military when …
Why So Many Americans Don’t Have Bank Accounts
At a time when you can pay bills online and deposit checks remotely using a cell phone, it’s amazing how many Americans don’t have bank accounts.
False Ceiling
A “contract ceiling,” to normal people, is an amount a contract cannot exceed. Brilliant metaphor. Monday evening the Pentagon announced an $8.4 million boost to an engineering contract “to increase the ceiling amount.” Then why call it a ceiling?
Is California’s Democratic Supermajority an Omen for the Rest of the U.S.?
The Republican Party’s troubles in the Golden State began years ago and could not be mended in time for the election. Does the same fate await the GOP nationwide?
U.S. Secession Petitions: Illegal for States Like Texas to Break Away
It’s beginning to feel a lot like the 1860s — and not just because Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln opened nationwide this past weekend.
Highest-Tech War
The U.S. Army is shipping some high-tech stuff off to Afghanistan, apparently for the war effort, even as troops have begun coming home. They won’t say a word about it, but are talking about the custom-built shipping cases they …
Three Awesome Things You Missed at the American Music Awards
If you didn’t watch the 40th American Music Awards last night, it’s easy enough to look at a list of who won what.
