Last year, the New York Times revealed that numerous cable news “military analysts” never disclosed their ties to military contractors. Yesterday, Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney appeared on Fox News to discuss the Somali pirates situation, and managed to use it as an opportunity to shill for the F-22:
McINERNEY: I’d put F-22s and combat air patrol out there, two of them, with tankers. … The reason I’d put the F-22s is because they can go 1.6 to mach 2, and they have a very quick reaction time and a 20 millimeter canon.
Gawker flagged the appearance and noted that McInerney, conveniently, worked as a consultant to Northrop Grumman, a major contractor for the F-22. Watch it:
“It doesn’t take an Air Force general to see how bizarre McInerney’s military reasoning is,” Gawker’s Ryan Tate writes, noting that the F-22 — an exceedingly expensive fighter jet designed for air combat — could do nothing to solve the current problem.
McINERNEY: … “The reason I’d put the F-22s is because they can go 1.6 to mach 2, and they have a very quick reaction time and a 20 millimeter canon.”
This is extremely important when combating wooden boats with outboard motors.
April 9th, 2009 at 7:43 pmthese republican whores would sell their own mothers for a buck.
April 9th, 2009 at 7:46 pmEven if they had a fleet of Raptors from Battlestar Galactica, the Somali pirates would still be there.
Maybe Glenn Beck should go shoot all the pirates in the head as our counter-response! He sure can’t go down and do it at Gitmo now.
April 9th, 2009 at 7:48 pm“Red Leader to Gold Leader, did you see anything?”
“Gold Leader to Red Leader… negative sir, but I think we’re over Australia by now, perhaps we should double back…”
April 9th, 2009 at 7:53 pmYes — let’s use a $360 million dollar aircraft to chase some rag-tag “pirates” scooting around the Gulf of Aden in rickety wooden boats with outboard motors. What a brilliant idea!
Maybe it’s that kind of thinking which explains why the General is no longer a General and is now a resident Fox know-nothing preaching to the rubes.
Just saying . . .
April 9th, 2009 at 7:53 pmEven though the defense budget proposal is a net increase in spending, it has a great transformative appeal.
The defense dept. is 1 of 15 executive depts. It should be equally subject to changes that eliminate waste-fraud-abuse.
Republicans have been doing to the DoD what they’ve been claiming dems want to do on domestic programs, throw more money at the problem. Just increase the budget amt. year after year with no end in sight.
Republicans, the department of defense is not your baby. If Defense Secretary Gates believes that 187 F-22s is enough, then the program should be capped.
April 9th, 2009 at 7:55 pm“This is extremely important when combating wooden boats with outboard motors.”
This is the Republican “Chicago Mouse”(EBERT accreditation) idea of what it takes, in life, and to Destroy wooden Boats.
I didn’t say it works, but that is their Theory of Life!
April 9th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
barkleyg Says: “I didn’t say it works, but that is their Theory of Life!”
Apparently so. They had Osama bin Laden holed up in a cave in Afghanistan and then invaded Iraq as a way of flushing him out…
April 9th, 2009 at 8:01 pmClearly we need to develop a new class of space-based particle beam laser weapons to combat this new foe. There is no alternative. America must prevail in the War On Pirates!
April 9th, 2009 at 8:05 pmLOL, they have to disclose that they are contracters for GOVERNMENT JOBS not tv jobs…another lame attempt to juxtapose statements to make it appear that Fox is doing something wrong…wow.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:06 pmSpeaking of waste, on January 1st 2007 Congress passed an increase in military retired pay for generals, lifting the executive level pay cap determining maximum base pay & awarding additional percentage points of base pay for service over 30 years in calculating retired pay.
This comes on the heels of the retired pay reforms of the last decade, where servicemembers retiring at 20 years now receive only 40% of their base pay (down from 50%) if they enlisted or were commissioned after September 6th 1980. This was done as a cost-cutting measure, but Congress’ actions in 2007 defeat that purpose.
Mind you, the generals who now mostly benefit don’t need the increase. They regularly sit on boards and work in other capacities picking up huge sums post-retirement. It all flies in the face of logic.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:06 pmMan these Industrial Military Complex guys are going to have to wait. I’m sorry to tell them, but the coffers are getting low. Come out of your bubble and smell the I.E.D.s Sarge. Break out the armor vests and armored vehicles and the head injury doctors, lots of brain injury doctors, not F-22s.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:08 pmThat’s, what’s the word? Ah yes. That’s INSANE!
We have an entire carrier fleet full of airplanes designed to hunt/kill boats/ships, not to mention the smaller vessels with helicopters, and this maroon wants to wear out the most expensive fighter planes in the world chasing ghosts?
Maybe we could also expend our B-2s, at two billion a pop, for surveillance over the Mexican boarder?
April 9th, 2009 at 8:08 pmCrybaby, you really take this WHAAAAAAAAAAA crap to heart.
pathetic
April 9th, 2009 at 8:12 pmCrymeariver Says:
LOL, they have to disclose that they are contracters for GOVERNMENT JOBS not tv jobs…another lame attempt to juxtapose statements to make it appear that Fox is doing something wrong…wow.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
FOX IS doing something wrong idiot. If you have someone commenting on ANYTHING they might have a conflict of interest on you DISCLOSE that connection. That is journalistic ethics 101. I knew that when I was editor of my high school newspaper. I am not suprised anything having to do with ethics is beyond your comprehension. Any real journalist KNOWS this however.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:12 pmThere’s a huge conflict of interest PERIOD, Crybaby.
If you’re on TV shilling for a government program, you need to disclose your personal stake. Not doing so gives the viewer the false impression that your assessment is objective.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:12 pmCrymeariver Says:
Crymeariver always misses or deflects the point. he’s like a living fun house mirror.
Has he ever actually articulated a concern we could help him address?
April 9th, 2009 at 8:13 pmI wouldn’t expect anything less from Fux nOoze or anyone who appears on their channel. C0ck-sucking liars all of them.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:13 pmYa, it’s called “full disclosure”
April 9th, 2009 at 8:14 pmdisclosure = something trolls do not comprehend
April 9th, 2009 at 8:16 pmBTW. The F-22 has never flown a combat mission and, despite that, has an abysmal serviceability rate of 62%. Doing a little quick math, that would require 12-15 planes for round the clock coverage. More like 20 if we wanted the option of reinforcing the two-plane patrols.
Plus, I seriously doubt that there’s an airfield within range that can handle the maintenance on this plumbers nightmare, even if we were willing to take the risk of espionage in a hostile theater.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:17 pm——————————————————————————–
Eugene atrax robustus Debs Says:
——————————————————————————–
Crymeariver Says:
LOL, they have to disclose that they are contracters for GOVERNMENT JOBS not tv jobs…another lame attempt to juxtapose statements to make it appear that Fox is doing something wrong…wow.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
FOX IS doing something wrong idiot. If you have someone commenting on ANYTHING they might have a conflict of interest on you DISCLOSE that connection. That is journalistic ethics 101. I knew that when I was editor of my high school newspaper. I am not suprised anything having to do with ethics is beyond your comprehension. Any real journalist KNOWS this however.
LOL, you are about as dumb as a box of rocks. OMG, every analyst or guest of Rachel or Herr Olbermann is shilling for something. They bring them ON for the very purpose that they have expertise in the field…You are WAY out there on this one. You think every guest on every show has to disclose ALL OF THE PROJECTS OR EMPLOYERS THEY HAVE EVER WORKED FOR??? lol, no, you didnt know “that” as editor of your high school newspaper fool because it doesnt exist. Please.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:17 pmCrymeariver says:
“LOL”
again.
Just fu(in say it. We don’t care if you are LingOL or CingAR.
Or SOtD. Oh wait, that’s Daryll.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:19 pmDo you know how wide a turn a plane makes at that speed?
April 9th, 2009 at 8:22 pmAn A-10 would be much better as it flys slower and can make much quicker turns…and it has a cannon too!!
April 9th, 2009 at 8:25 pmBecause we really need the US Air Force out there potting at civilian craft, just in case they might be pirates.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:25 pmThe more disclosure the more honesty. there is less discloser at FREAX NEWS than any other network.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:25 pmXisithrus Says:
“Do you know how wide a turn a plane makes at that speed?”
Without the pilot blacking out?
April 9th, 2009 at 8:26 pm;)
So who was really pitching for the F-22s now [idiots] besides pitch man McIntyre there? That would be disclosure.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:27 pmCrymeariver Says:
You are just a bone ignorant moron. I mean stupid beyond human comprehension. I dont care who shills for what. They all have an ideology. A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS ANOTHER THING. Yes if they worked for a company that would make money off of their suggestion they ABSOLUTLY should disclose it. Just because you are flat out too stupid to even comprehend the concept of ethics doesnt mean they dont exist. Just that you are VERY stupid. This IS journalistic ethics 101
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/umdjour/journalismatumd/2008/06/_how_journalists_avoid_conflic.html
According to the Anti-Corruption Resource Center Web site: “A conflict of interest arises when an individual with a formal responsibility to serve the public participates in an activity that jeopardizes his or her professional judgment, objectivity and independence. Often this activity primarily serves personal interests and can potentially influence the objective exercise of the individual’s official duties
If he is shown on the air as a commentator his primary responsibility is to objectivly inform. IF he has any financial stake in what is being said that MUST be disclosed. This is simple even a moron like YOU ought to be able to understand it
April 9th, 2009 at 8:27 pmI have no doubt the guy knows the F-22s abilities. But whats the point of going Mach 2 when the ship and pirates are going much slower? If this is the best scenario this guy can come up with for buying a very expensive….then we dont need them.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:28 pmUsing F-22s to fight those low tech pirates would be like using a military laser to cut your butter.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:28 pmI sell books. These rectangular objects are especially well suited to dropping on pirates. Especially novels.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:28 pmBelieve me, or not, no Air Force General would allow the F-22s to be used for this purpose. I don’t give a rip who McInerney works for, he should identify himself as a freakin idiot.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:30 pmThe military getting into politics is a conflict of interest. In fact it’s a most dangerous one. whole countrys fail over that one. Even big ones.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:30 pmWe could put a squad of heavily armed Marines on every merchant vessel on the planet for the cost of one F-22.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:33 pmWe are talking asymmetrical warfare here, not a high tech battle with other equally high tech planes.
But hey lets build some even more expensive spaceships with hyper drives, Warp factor 9, dylithium crystal powered, faster than the speed of light craft and show those poor pirates a lesson!!
Even better lets use Reagans super expensive Star-Wars weapon system to blast the pirates out of the water!
April 9th, 2009 at 8:33 pmxisithrus..sun , you’ll never get that promotion if you make more sense than the general!
Oof course even if McInerney had susggested the A-AIO instead,it would still be stupid–just less stupid. But at least it would then be a genuine suggestion.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:34 pm“These rectangular objects are especially well suited to dropping on pirates.”
Perhaps George Dufous B. might unload a few copies after all….
April 9th, 2009 at 8:34 pm36. Eugene,
Please watch a few more episodes of Tim, the Toolman Taylor, and you’ll understand ! ;-)
On another topic as posted by 11. Dr. Moth Matt – Dow up for 5 weeks is now back to the level of the day Obama was sworn in. Here, Lutkemeyer (R-MO) is on TV talking about how bad the economy is and that we can’t have any effect on it. Why wasn’t it so bad in the Bush years ?
April 9th, 2009 at 8:34 pmMcInerney is a IMC zombie, willing or not. Stupid or not. Zombies take talking points from somewhere…
April 9th, 2009 at 8:34 pmStrawman alert — #26
Make that a HUGE strawman.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:34 pmI’m sure he’s got F-22 brochures inside his coat so he can whip it open at any time of the day to sell these planes. LOL What a schmuck.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:35 pmXisithrus Says: “Do you know how wide a turn a plane makes at that speed?”
Noseeum Said: Without the pilot blacking out?
;)
Or the wings snapping off? =P
April 9th, 2009 at 8:36 pmBut but its not a conflict of interest!!!
/snark
April 9th, 2009 at 8:38 pmMapleStreet Says:
Yeah thats something he would do. Pretty sure it wouldnt be at taxpayer expense though.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:39 pmthis cryingariver pansy is hilarious
please tell me you’re a parody, nobody could really be that stupid
April 9th, 2009 at 8:40 pmI’m no Admiral here or anything, but wouldn’t it be cheaper to put guns on the ships, so they could, like, shoot the pirates and/or repel them and whatnot?
But hey – if those guys wanna spend a bajillion dollars and still not catch the pirates, I guess that’s their prerogative.
Sure hope they don’t “waste” any Republicans’ tax money on it though – they’re very, very touchy about that.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:40 pm@46 – COPY – Strawman at #26
“every guest on every show has to disclose ALL OF THE PROJECTS OR EMPLOYERS THEY HAVE EVER WORKED FOR”
April 9th, 2009 at 8:40 pmXisithrus Says: “Do you know how wide a turn a plane makes at that speed?”
Noseeum Said: Without the pilot blacking out?
;)
Or the wings snapping off? =P
Well hopefully the F-22 has the same kind of management system as the EADS Typhoon which prevents the pilot form flying beyond the physical limitations of the airframe and aerodynamics, no matter matter what.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:40 pmI know that F-22s have a FLIR (Forward Looking InfraRed) but, do they even have a surface scanning radar? I’m pretty sure that their Air to Surface capability is very limited.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:41 pmRepublicans, like their mascot, cannot help but be so frightened by a mouse, that they stomp around in a panic, trashing everything around them.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:43 pm5th Estate Says:
Xisithrus Says: “Do you know how wide a turn a plane makes at that speed?”
Noseeum Said: Without the pilot blacking out?
;)
Or the wings snapping off? =P
Well hopefully the F-22 has the same kind of management system as the EADS Typhoon which prevents the pilot form flying beyond the physical limitations of the airframe and aerodynamics, no matter matter what.
I’m pretty sure they do, 5th, and most modern fighters even have a system to detect a blacked out pilot (I think it can tell if a head is lolling).
On the other hand, they also have a low altitude warning system. I’ve always wondered if the system will go past it’s limits if the plane is about ready to auger in. Heck! They might even have an automatic ejection if a blacked out pilot would need to pull the wings off to avoid the ground. Or the poor computer might just give up and self-destruct in confusion!
April 9th, 2009 at 8:48 pmDavid Rees has heeded the call of duty, too, and has McInerney and Lieberman’s backs on this issue:
Save the F-22’s
April 9th, 2009 at 9:10 pmpete…
Yes that would seem smart–I’ve seen more detailed info about the Typhoon than the F-22, and I’ve not bothered to dig anymore.
It’s no wonder the F-22 is so damn expensive, it can probably even julienne potatoes and absorb ten times its weight in water.
IMHO its really a technology demonstrator, not ready for front-line.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:14 pmIt is the ol macho Whomever has the Newest, Biggest, Baddest, Toys syndrome.
hohum
April 9th, 2009 at 9:21 pmtombaker Says:
LOL… funny stuff! That’s particularly good—begging for the laptop had me thinking it was real for a few seconds.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:22 pmCrymeariver Says:
This is rich from you LOL…so I’ll try this approach, please provide me with one of this “childish insults”
______________
Crymeariver Says:
LOL, you are about as dumb as a box of rocks.
______________
S.O.P. for some folks, huh?
April 9th, 2009 at 9:22 pmJust another Fox/Military hack doing hackery….Maybe he’s not up on the latest announcement from the pentagon- THE F-22 HAS BEEN CANCELED…END…
Now go home and plan for the next invasion of the local playground…
April 9th, 2009 at 9:23 pmThis must be what McInerney envisions when invoking the F-22 to fight pirates…
Kinda like the republican citing “24″ to fight terrorism; and just as fictional.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:25 pm62. The Republic of Hymenoptera Stupidity Says:
Crymeariver Says:
LOL, you are about as dumb as a box of rocks.
______________
S.O.P. for some folks, huh?
Sedimentary, my dear Watson…
April 9th, 2009 at 9:40 pm5th – Rees’s recommendations on the N.Korean missile situation is pretty funny too.
Last week, on his “Friday Faceoffs” youtube video showdown, he took on Glenn the WonderDolt Beck to the tune of “Don’t Cry Out Loud”.
Get Your War On was the funniest, crisp-est dissection of the Iraq experience I read anywhere. It should be a classic forever.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:45 pmhanshiro the antlion Says:
Sedimentary, my dear Watson…
__________
There’s just no point in being gneiss to some people, huh?
April 9th, 2009 at 9:46 pmIf you’re going to involve the military, wouldn’t the Navy be the first choice? Or merchant marines? This guy sounds like he would send f-22s after a clown on a bicycle.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:48 pmOff topic:
Did any of you listen to Glenn Beck’s program today? At the end of it, he was talking about how to make a dirty bomb and then some guy called in who said he uses centrifuges all the time and making a dirty bomb would be easy to do.
Ummmmmmm, what is Glenn Beck doing? No one can get through the phone to talk to him, but yet, he just happened to have a caller call in with all this information on how to separate the uranium easily? Beck said to the guy, “Doesn’t it have to be a 3000/7000 mix or something like that?”.
This whole conversation reminded me of the time the Pentagon under Rumsfeld “mistakenly” put the directions on how to make a nuclear bomb on their website.
Glenn Beck wants America destroyed. I hate him.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:48 pm#1 wrote: TThis is extremely important when combating wooden boats with outboard motors.
Major beer spew… Thank you.
On a side note, my 16YO son drags me to the Wright Patterson Air Force Base Museum in Dayton, OH and the F-22 on display there is a truly magnificent aircraft. It’s his favorite and he’s devastated that his favorite fighter jet is being scrubbed.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:49 pmIt’s his favorite and he’s devastated that his favorite fighter jet is being scrubbed.
______________
Ummm… scrubbed? We ONLY have 187 of them already…
April 9th, 2009 at 9:51 pmWhat a load of schist.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:55 pmO/T
April 9th, 2009 at 9:58 pmHere is a critical look at CAP by Jeremy Scahill on todays huff po .
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeremy-scahill/rahm-emanuels-think-tanke_b_185203.html
Worth a look .
ALso does anyone posting now access tp’s sister site Middle East Progress ? Norton anti virus has it labelled as an unsafe site so I have been avoiding it ?
April 9th, 2009 at 10:00 pm70.Theres’Ant Says: my 16YO son…It’s his favorite and he’s devastated that his favorite fighter jet is being scrubbed.
At 16, my favorite fighter jet was Wonder Woman’s invisible plane…even the changing room was invisible.
My buddy’s favorite fighter jets were Tony, Riff and Action. He moved to the west coast….
April 9th, 2009 at 10:01 pmFox Noise=Fake TV news for stupid people.
GOP=Political party for stupid people.
A match made in heaven
April 9th, 2009 at 10:05 pmWhile there are many reasons to question the procurement of a plane the military does not want more of…I can’t get past the fact they wrote their code in ADA
April 9th, 2009 at 10:06 pmHe probably would have loved to crowbar in some of those cancelled land rovers but that would be a hard sell even for Fox.
April 9th, 2009 at 10:07 pmOK OK OK. Perhaps scrubbed was the wrong word.
Carry on.
April 9th, 2009 at 10:08 pmThis is another critical look at CAP from a week earlier on huffpo by Tom Hayden
April 9th, 2009 at 10:22 pmhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-hayden/progressive-think-tank-te_b_179174.html
Norton anti virus may mean it’s not safe for Republicans. did it elaborate on the warning?
April 9th, 2009 at 10:28 pmKayInMaine Says:
Glenn Beck is insane and a danger to civilization. Since he’s allowed to spread his crap, I must conclude that his bosses are the same.
April 9th, 2009 at 10:40 pm@82 Dr. Moth Matt Says:
Bachus brain = Museum
April 9th, 2009 at 10:44 pmI missed the geology plays on words. **sniff**
April 9th, 2009 at 10:58 pmSorry, Zooey, it was quite gneiss.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:00 pmAn entomolgical inquiry …… What gives with the insects ?
April 9th, 2009 at 11:04 pmhaha, and Fox viewers soak it up like the numb dumb morons they are. Not a critical thought flowing through their tiny brains.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:04 pmA conflict of interest occurs when an individual (in this case a military analyst on Fox “news”) has an interest (consultant for an F-22 contractor) that might compromise their reliability. A conflict of interest exists even if no improper act results from it, and can create an appearance of impropriety that can undermine confidence in the conflicted individual or organization.
This is why every time Keith Olbermann has someone on his show, like Eugene Robinson or Richard Wolffe, he explains who else they work for or have connections with. That way, the listener has more information with which to determine how much weight we might want to give the speaker’s ideas and/or opinions.
I guess if you’re a troll, that’s a seriously hard concept to understand.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:04 pmnoseeum Says:
Sorry, Zooey, it was quite gneiss.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
I just about schist myself when I realized I had missed it. ;)
April 9th, 2009 at 11:06 pmfreeman Says: “What gives with the insects ?”
Bill O’Flyly called us a bunch of insects a week or so ago…
April 9th, 2009 at 11:06 pmIt’s a tuff act to follow, shale we continue?
April 9th, 2009 at 11:08 pmLOL !
April 9th, 2009 at 11:09 pmPlease stop Quartz your giving me a headache .
April 9th, 2009 at 11:09 pmSorry about your game, I’m too stoned to play:}
April 9th, 2009 at 11:10 pmOh jeebus, my geology skillz are seriously crusty.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:11 pmIts a insextual revolution
April 9th, 2009 at 11:12 pmTo Crymeariver:
Here’s the point: Just recently there was an announcement concerning the future of the F-22. Subsequently, Fox has on a consultant who worked for a related contractor–supposedly as an expert in relation to the pirate attacks. Said consultant uses the attacks as an opportunity to convince DUMBASSES SUCH AS YOURSELF OF THE NEED TO KEEP THE F-22 TO PREVENT PIRATE ATTACKS! lol
April 9th, 2009 at 11:12 pmPachy is stoned? I shall commence my subduction…
April 9th, 2009 at 11:13 pmOh jeebus, my geology skillz are seriously crusty.
I tremor at the thought of mine
April 9th, 2009 at 11:15 pmPirates can go at least Mach 2.5. The F-22 can’t catch them.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:16 pmYou’re on pretty shaky ground there, if you get my drift.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:17 pmPyrites can go underground and the F-22 cant.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:18 pmNevar take pirates for granite.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:19 pmNevar take pirates for granite.
Its a fools gold
April 9th, 2009 at 11:20 pmMake a wish and I’ll granite.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:20 pmYou’re on pretty shaky ground there, if you get my drift.
I plate that game before
April 9th, 2009 at 11:22 pmThis is a subject I have an apatite for.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:27 pmI wish crymeariver would stop quarrying with people
April 9th, 2009 at 11:27 pmThis is a subject I have an apatite for. -noseeum
Your barchan right about that
April 9th, 2009 at 11:30 pmIf trolls come around here, we breccia some fool logic.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:31 pmZep,
Are you chert?
April 9th, 2009 at 11:32 pmMy knowledge of rock names is fenite.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:33 pmI buy my whiskey by the quartz because my congressman is Mica!
April 9th, 2009 at 11:33 pmI’m going to the flea market and gypsum rube out of his money.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:34 pmZep, Are you chert?
Diatom straight
April 9th, 2009 at 11:34 pmWe will go drumlin on some troll haids!
April 9th, 2009 at 11:35 pmPachy, would you care for some of this fine horneblende gabbro?
April 9th, 2009 at 11:35 pmDiatomite!!
April 9th, 2009 at 11:36 pmFox is the official station of war profiteers. Seems to be un-American to me.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:37 pmYou guys rock!
April 9th, 2009 at 11:38 pmWe’re vitric tuff. ;)
April 9th, 2009 at 11:38 pmBack to one of my original questions ….. anyone using tp’s sister site ME progress ? Norton antivirus has it as an unsafe site ?
April 9th, 2009 at 11:39 pmI haven’t read the posts yet but…
Wasn’t the f-22 86 a few days ago?
April 9th, 2009 at 11:39 pmJB Said: Fox is the official station of war profiteers
The warhawk nutwork
April 9th, 2009 at 11:39 pmYeh, we need someone to keep scoria
April 9th, 2009 at 11:40 pmSoon I’ll be at a loess for words…
April 9th, 2009 at 11:40 pmZooey I’ve been thinking about putting my appendages on some rhombohedral cleavages.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:40 pmThis has turned into a messy conglomerate. Time to clean the slate and metamorphosis like proper insects.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:40 pmGads pass the deet .
April 9th, 2009 at 11:42 pmI’m in total isostacy!
April 9th, 2009 at 11:42 pmThey are sending a ship called the “Haliburton.”
WTF?
April 9th, 2009 at 11:43 pmIm time traveling again
April 9th, 2009 at 11:43 pmOT (F-22s and rocks):
Here’s the definitive cartoon of today’s GOP.
Note the dedication. *blush*
April 9th, 2009 at 11:44 pmOT
April 9th, 2009 at 11:46 pmHey Zooey
Check it out I freeganed an entire leg of lamb tonight…
GOL Said: They are sending a ship called the “Haliburton.”
There will be public upwelling over this
April 9th, 2009 at 11:46 pmThe cartoon pretty well sums it up.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:47 pmI must be the only one here whose stash has run out .Gaspeite this all being fun ,it’s got to end aventurine .
April 9th, 2009 at 11:48 pmPachydiplax de St. Augustine Says:
Zooey I’ve been thinking about putting my appendages on some rhombohedral cleavages.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Oh, you naughty hornfels greywacke. ;)
April 9th, 2009 at 11:49 pmdbadass Says:
OT
Hey Zooey
Check it out I freeganed an entire leg of lamb tonight…
April 9th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
When’s dinner?
April 9th, 2009 at 11:50 pmZooey I’ve been thinking about putting my appendages on some rhombohedral cleavages.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
All Rhyolite!
April 9th, 2009 at 11:50 pmButte seriously, the Mohs you aggregate the easier target you make for the trolls.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:52 pmDo you dig kale? I only ended up with 8 bunches, 5 pounds of shrimp, a half a dozen grapefruit and a few quarts of lemonade. Oh and ten pounds of button mushrooms… Let’s grub!
The lamb is my best score in a while…
April 9th, 2009 at 11:52 pmDoes anyone think Texas State Rep. Betty Brown might have some identity issues?
Here Betty, let me offer a few suggestions…
Betty Bong
April 9th, 2009 at 11:54 pmBetty Wang Chung
Betty Chow Mein
Betty Chop Suey
Betty Won Ton
Betty Phucka Yoo
Where are the trolls anyway, I’d like to wring some volcanic neck.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:54 pmIsn’t Brown Betty some kind of cake?
April 9th, 2009 at 11:56 pmTrolls are terminal moraines
April 9th, 2009 at 11:56 pmI support the Somali Pirates. They are a resistance to globalist corporations. I salute them fight for our rights!
April 9th, 2009 at 11:56 pmdb, kale is too bitter to eat. You can have mine. :)
I could stand some sauteed mushrooms right about now.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:57 pmpete,
I’ll shield myself from the trolls with my alluvial fan.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:58 pmLong live the heroic Somali Pirates!
April 9th, 2009 at 11:59 pmZooey,
April 10th, 2009 at 12:00 amTry the kale in some chicken stock with kielbasa or andouille or some such thing and some cannelini beans and other veggies and maybe some orzo or other small pasta and a groovy soup will result…
db,
Then I take out the kale and enjoy…?
April 10th, 2009 at 12:01 amOT
Dbadass, My Uncle Henry was a dentist, Mason, and black marketeer. One day he arrived with a big package marked “suet $1.00″. It was two whole racks of lamb (rack of lambs?). And he didn’t even like lamb!
Mom, being an accomplished chef, broiled it (them?) with a basil, rosemary, mint sauce and I ate till I couldn’t stand lamb for years. Good times!
April 10th, 2009 at 12:01 amI hope Betty won’t be mad I caldera a bunch of funny names…
April 10th, 2009 at 12:01 amI can still see you from my wave cut terrace…
April 10th, 2009 at 12:02 ampete:
April 10th, 2009 at 12:04 amlamb is the bestest of the meats… Salamandering is shifting into high gear… What’s up with the geology thing?
I’m waving to you from my dendritic drainage.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:05 amnoseeum,
I’m sure she’ll just fumarole a while…
April 10th, 2009 at 12:05 amHi Uncle Bob…
April 10th, 2009 at 12:06 amZooey, I’ve observed your work. It’s more like an ingenious shield. Alas, it appears that the trolls are on the dolomite tonight.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:06 amAll this talk of food and I’m thirsty , anyone want a little sodalite to go with their dinner ?
April 10th, 2009 at 12:07 amdb,
Just for the hill of it.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:07 amIf the Imperialists use F-22’s, I would laugh if the brave Somalis shot it down. Just like they downed Blackhawk helicopters.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:08 amOops! That was supposed to say “igneous trap”,Zooey. I’ve been rocked by Irish ale.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:09 amBless the pyrites that fight the coprolite menace
April 10th, 2009 at 12:09 ampete,
It’s gneiss to get a break from the isostacy.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:10 amUncle Bob do you like lamb?
April 10th, 2009 at 12:11 amZooey, I posted another lawyer joke for you at the Zoo.
I have several pieces of rock I brought back from the Alps from different trips I’ve taken. If enought Americans did that then someday we could have them here.
The man who moved the mountain began by carrying small stones. Chinese Proverb
April 10th, 2009 at 12:14 amIt’s ok, Uncle Bob, you can talus…
April 10th, 2009 at 12:15 amdbadass.
I agree. A nice bit of lamb is beyond the realm of human expression.
And? I don’t know what’s up with the geology puns but, it looked like fun so I joined in.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:15 amPachy, I just put one up in response. I think you’ll like it. ;)
April 10th, 2009 at 12:16 amTalus! I was trying to think of that one!
April 10th, 2009 at 12:16 amOre are you afraid of them?
April 10th, 2009 at 12:16 amI so much need help figuring out what to do with “monadnock”…
April 10th, 2009 at 12:17 amNo but ater being bitten by this labrador….rite , eucrite .
April 10th, 2009 at 12:19 amAnthracite, db.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:20 amWegener did Uncle Bob go?
April 10th, 2009 at 12:22 amThat’s enough. I must be knapping.
G’night, good people. Don’t let your hearts grow flinty.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:22 amThe bite was tourmaline .T
April 10th, 2009 at 12:22 amEr, thalweg very much…I think I’m dune now.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:23 amdb,
I think it scares the trollies when we go all goofy. :-D
April 10th, 2009 at 12:24 amFor chert, pete.
goodnight!
April 10th, 2009 at 12:24 amReal brainy there, General. Swat a fly with a $30,000. an hour howitzer. How very patriotic of you. Moron.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:30 amSilicon servatives have U over a beryl ?
April 10th, 2009 at 12:34 amBeware the Military Industrial Complex.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:41 amReading these comments is such an aventurine. You’re all berylant.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:42 amA slice of pyrite with that lamb would satisfy any apatite. But remember, all that glitters is not gold.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:49 amIolite some marmolite jelly on my lamb. Kunzite I don’t like mint.
April 10th, 2009 at 12:55 amMaybe he should have suggested the imaginary laser that Newt suggested taking out the N. Korean rocket. Makes about as much sense.
April 10th, 2009 at 1:33 am.
D I S M A N T L E
T H E
M I L I T A R Y
I N D U S T R I A L
C O M P L E X !
.
April 10th, 2009 at 1:49 amUHHH, you do know the pirates only go 6 knots, don’t you?
April 10th, 2009 at 2:03 amMach 2 is 1,522 mph.
April 10th, 2009 at 2:14 amF = 6th letter of the alphabet
O = 15th letter of the alphabet (1 + 5 = 6)
X = 24th letter of the alphabet (2 + 4 = 6)
F-O-X = 666
Beware The Beast
April 10th, 2009 at 2:37 amSo who is going to fight with their blood and who is going to pay taxes to carry out the Imperial Defense Contrator McInerney’s battle plans?
Who voted McInerney Commander in Cheif?
Does the corporations really appreciate avoiding taxes, paying American workers low wages and moving their companies overseas with American tax payers funding their protection in foreign lands and waters?
These big international corporations have used the U.S. Gov’t to the hilt in protection and diplomacy from the State Dept at Americans expense.
But, ” the most serious threat to Nebraska is the Employee Free Choice Act ” , so says the President of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerse.
Not the failing econnomy, 2 wars, illegal immigration, climate change, energy security. It is the EFCA.
What is the cost of the U.S. Navy’s ships dispatched to the Somalia coast to support this international corporation that hates paying taxes and is allowed to fly the U.S. flag on its corporate frieghter to carry the insurance of protection of America?
And McInerney feels confident he has the authority and knowledge to call out the U’S. military and risk American lives for his defense contracting profiteering and protecting international corporations as working Americans are being sent into the economic poor clas and dispersing with the middle class.
McInerney probably flew his private 727 to get to this interview……………………….
April 10th, 2009 at 2:48 amMUUURDOOOCH!!!
April 10th, 2009 at 3:26 amDog-granite! I go away for one night and y’all do a rock pun thread without me! No feldspar!!! :(
April 10th, 2009 at 7:16 amXisithrus Says:
Its a insextual revolution
With all the puns, it is OBVIOUS that everyone got STONED last night!!
And in response to the above: GREAT!!! Let’s all get NAKED and PARTY!!!!
….(ohhh, ughhh…. ohhh, dear sweet god…. darryl, you can get dressed and leave now …..).
April 10th, 2009 at 8:22 amDismantling the MIC completely would be too extreme, diminishing it’s strangle hold on our government would be more appropriate. Hopefully Gates has made an intelligent decision to suspend the production of the Raptor for the time being, just as long as it does not diminish our ability to respond to a major air threat to our military. I think we can hold off for now, but our aging fighter planes will need to be replaced eventually. McInerney is the epitome of “military intelligence”, which are two mutually exclusive terms that should never be used in conjunction with one anther.
April 10th, 2009 at 8:29 amUp and at ‘em!
April 10th, 2009 at 8:31 amLooks to be a good Friday, just don’t cross me…
wow, all these puns almost make me long for the days when, instead of progressive jazz, I was in a rock band
April 10th, 2009 at 8:47 amLooks like a good time last night. If it wasn’t so early I’d have a gin and tectonic while I appreciated a display of such magmatude.
April 10th, 2009 at 9:09 amHow could I forget feldspar…?
April 10th, 2009 at 10:56 amI have photographic evidence that a low-flying super fast airplane is perfect for dropping bombs on small (less than 1 meter size) targets.
Just watch Star Wars, Episode 4. In next to ending scene, Luke drops a missle in a 2 foot hole. In fact, he tells a fellow pilot that he dropped missles on rats in a canyon all the time back home.
April 10th, 2009 at 10:56 amThis ex-general’s “insight” details precisely why the revolving door needs to be closed. It promotes this type of garbage analysis and it promotes corruption within the Pentagon. Does anyone think this shill wasn’t wankering while getting paid by Uncle Sam as well? How many contracts did he influence while serving as a general? How many change orders did he allow or initiate just so his contractor buddies could make money or fulfill a contract obligation? I’d say that this most recent demonstartion would imply quite a few.
What the USAF or even USN could use is an updated equivalent of the reliable A10 Thunderbolt II (or “Warthog” as it’s more affectionately known by its pilots). It needn’t go fast. It just needs to be able to stay on station for long periods and carry a pretty hefty internal payload. That will never happen because the crowd that runs the USAF (like this clown “analyst”) wants to buy only super-hot aircraft which can buzz around in the stratosphere. God forbid they ever get down in the mud where somebody might be actually shooting at them from all angles.
April 10th, 2009 at 11:59 amtest
April 10th, 2009 at 12:30 pmThe old General has a point. Global Hawks could track pirate threats, and Raptors could definitely get on the scene of the pirate threat faster than any other Naval or air asset because of their speed. Total waste of manpower and money for protecting merchant shipping though. I would hate to guess how much this would cost.
The solution is so easy, but people are scared of it because of B.S. politics. Outfit these American merchant ships with about 4 or so medium or heavy machine guns(Old M60s, M240s, M2s). It could be done for under $50K. -A Raptor taxiing five feet towards the runway probably costs that much.
The merchant crew members are more than capable of learning the simple operation of these weapons and basic rules of engagement to follow under the Captain’s direction.
Skinny black dudes armed with AKs and RPGs in a crappy boat coming at your merchant vessel are not the Somali Coast Guard rolling out the red carpet.
The merchant vessel’s machine guns could be deployed from weapons lockers on the deck, or already be rail mounted for transit through high threat areas.
Put a burst in front of the pirates’ boat. If that doesn’t convince them, then blow meat hunks off of them and send a message to their pirate homeys planning more attacks. I guarantee the frequency of attacks will drop off and these scumbags will have to resort to other means of terror to bring home the booty.
These pirates are running unchecked in a multi-million dollar business that pays. Uneducated thugs with tiny boats taking down huge freighters and making seven figures. The ship companies and lawmakers are at fault for pu__sy-footing around legalities and public image centered around weapons instead of arming their crews and giving them a heavy handed chance of success against pirate attacks.
You can only fight guns with more guns or a heavier weapon. Common sense applies. Arm the merchant crews and stop these motor-boatin’ sons of b_tches.
April 10th, 2009 at 1:15 pm“The reason I’d put the F-22s is because they can go 1.6 to mach 2, and they have a very quick reaction time and a 20 millimeter canon….”
… and they can easily overcome any frequency-hopping radars and AA systems on board those Somali dinghies. Loitering at Mach 2 is handy too … it makes the pirate’s heads spin and gets them all dizzy so they fall overboard.
Cheers,
April 10th, 2009 at 3:20 pmtombaker Says:
I’m no Admiral here or anything, but wouldn’t it be cheaper to put guns on the ships, so they could, like, shoot the pirates and/or repel them and whatnot?
But hey – if those guys wanna spend a bajillion dollars and still not catch the pirates, I guess that’s their prerogative.
Sure hope they don’t “waste” any Republicans’ tax money on it though – they’re very, very touchy about that.
——————
Perhaps the cheapest method is to quarantine the sea lanes used by the pirates. It takes a lot of fuel to conduct a successful pirate business. Starve them out of business.
Mounting weapons on cargo ships does not work well at all. Freighters are optimized for carrying the greatest tonnage vs ship weight. Look at WW2 the freighters were not armed, they relied on convoys containing armed escort ships for protection. The cost of arming a freighter would be cost prohibitive. The cost of weapons, ammunition, trained gun crews and loss of cargo space would drive up the cost of transportation. Then there is the amount of damage the weapons would suffer during loading and unloading. I worked as a longshoreman for 8 years and a lot of ship’s gear was damaged due to accidents.
I agree we do not need to get all Battlestar Africa on their A$$ or embarrass ourselves using the mythical SDI wunderweapons to swat flies.
April 10th, 2009 at 7:22 pmNugget Says:
No he DOESNT have a point. I COULD use a bazooka to take care of that rat infestation in my garage but is that the best use of resources?…AAAARRRRGG
April 10th, 2009 at 10:00 pmDon’t give me that stuff about it not being a good idea to arm these ships because it would take up too much space. No one is advocating putting depth charge racks and missiles on them…. A few machine guns not weighing more than a hundred pounds or so, is hardly a burden on the cargo space of a massive ship. During cargo loading, the weapons would obviously be stowed away in weapons lockers, so how are they going to get damaged? You would only need them on the rails when the Captain directed it. I can teach you how to operate a machine gun in about 5 minutes.
You would rather these guys not have a fighting chance? Quarantine of the sea lanes as you advocate would cost much, much more. Responsibility for defense should be on the crew first with other U.S. military assets responding as needed. It’s just like home defense here in America. You can call 911 for help, but as often happens, you’ll be dead in 15 minutes when the cops finally show up. -Unless you have your own weapons.
April 11th, 2009 at 3:00 amWhether or not we should arm the ships is NOT the subject of the thread. It is about this shill of a general making a frankly dumb suggestion about why we need F22 fighters WITHOUT anyone pointing out he has a business relationship to the company that MAKES THEM. A clear conflict of interest.
April 11th, 2009 at 4:45 am