OoRaH

Y'all will be some kinda pleased to know that the Marines have taught -- I think a better word is 'motivated' -- the Recruit to, and I quote, "Shave, shower, and pee in 10 minutes."

OohRAH

Jim has started recruit training. There is, in other words, another McFadden actively defending the country, and you all may sleep soundly in your beds again. Jim is the 5th Generation, in unbroken line, of McFaddens to serve:
Charles W. Minnesota National Guard
Archibald G.W. USN
Grafton R. USN
Rodney G. USNR
James. A. USMCR

Godspeed. Semper Fi!

And if we go home....

We will have helped train a new generation of jihadis to believe that if they kill several thousand troops, we will surrender. The last time we taught them this lesson was in Somalia, which in Bin Laden's words
But your most disgraceful case was in Somalia; where- after vigorous propaganda about the power of the USA and its post cold war leadership of the new world order- you moved tens of thousands of international force, including twenty eight thousands American solders into Somalia. However, when tens of your solders were killed in minor battles and one American Pilot was dragged in the streets of Mogadishu you left the area carrying disappointment, humiliation, defeat and your dead with you. Clinton appeared in front of the whole world threatening and promising revenge , but these threats were merely a preparation for withdrawal. You have been disgraced by Allah and you withdrew; the extent of your impotence and weaknesses became very clear. It was a pleasure for the "heart" of every Muslim and a remedy to the "chests" of believing nations to see you defeated in the three Islamic cities of Beirut , Aden and Mogadishu.

Arnold Kling's newest wisdom

I like the concept of "Civil Societarian" whilst acknowledging that it's an extremely awkward phrase!
The emphasis is mine.
"...the challenge that government poses to civil society goes beyond economics. When we treat government as a parent, we weaken the family. When we worship government, we overpower other religions. When we look to government every time there is a problem, we undermine those who have independent, creative solutions. Katrina-ravaged New Orleans was let down by its Democratic mayor, its Democratic governor, and its Republican President. It was not let down by private-sector volunteers. "

P&I Urges Use of Parallel Indexing

The London P&I Club has said that two recent casualties may well have been avoided if the bridge teams of the vessels involved had made use of parallel indexing, a radar technique which can enable navigators to monitor continuously for cross track error
P&I Urges Use of Parallel Indexing
Editor's comment: "Too bloody right!"

DHS flips off mariners

Not that it's a surprise:
SUBJ: TRANSPORTATION WORKER IDENTIFICATION CREDENTIAL (TWIC) FINAL RULE UPDATE

1. ON 22 MAY 2006, THE COAST GUARD AND THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (TSA) PUBLISHED THE TWIC JOINT NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING (NPRM). FOUR PUBLIC MEETINGS WERE HELD IN LATE MAY AND EARLY JUNE IN NEWARK, NJ; TAMPA, FL; ST. LOUIS, MO; AND LONG BEACH, CA. DURING THE 45 DAY COMMENT PERIOD, THE COAST GUARD AND TSA RECEIVED OVER 1900 COMMENTS ON THIS RULE. A NUMBER OF THESE REQUESTED AN EXTENSION OF THE COMMENT PERIOD AND ADDITIONAL PUBLIC MEETINGS, MANY OF THESE ALSO VOICED CONCERN REGARDING CARD READER TECHNOLOGY, ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT, POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO COMMERCE, AND UNCERTAINTY AS TO HOW TWIC REQUIREMENTS FOR FACILITIES AND VESSELS COULD BE MET.

2. AFTER A REVIEW OF THE COMMENTS RECEIVED DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND THE REQUESTS FOR EXTENSION, TSA AND THE COAST GUARD DECIDED NOT TO EXTEND THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE NPRM.INSTEAD, TWIC IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS IN THE NPRM HAVE BEEN DIVIDED INTO TWO RULES. TSA AND COAST GUARD HAVE CONCLUDED THAT FACILITY AND VESSEL OWNERS AND OPERATORS WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO PURCHASE OR INSTALL CARD READERS DURING THE FIRST PHASE OF THE TWIC IMPLEMENTATION (FIRST FINAL RULE). ADDITIONALLY, A REQUIREMENT TO PURCHASE AND INSTALL CARD READERS WILL NOT BE IMPLEMENTED UNTIL THE PUBLIC IS AFFORDED FURTHER OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THAT ASPECT OF THE TWIC PROGRAM. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED UNDER A SECOND RULEMAKING INITIATIVE CONSISTING OF ANOTHER NPRM AND FINAL RULE.

3. FIELD UNITS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH AREA MARITIME SECURITY COMMITTEES AND LOCAL INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES.PUBLIC AFFAIRS GUIDANCE REGARDING TWO TWIC RULEMAKINGS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE MTSA-ISPS INTRANET WEBSITE AT HTTP://CGWEB.COMDT.USCG.MIL/G-MP/HELPDESK/HTM . MORE DETAILED GUIDANCE FOR INDUSTRY AND CAPTAINS OF THE PORT IS ANTICIPATED AFTER THE FIRST FINAL RULE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED THROUGH A TWIC NAVIGATION AND VESSEL INSPECTION CIRCULAR AND COMMANDANT INSTRUCTION.
4. QUESTIONS CONCERNING TWIC SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE MTSA-ISPS HELPDESK HOTLINE AT 1-877-MTSA-AID (1-877-267-2243).
5. INTERNET RELEASE IS AUTHORIZED.
6. RDML SALERNO, DIRECTOR OF INSPECTIONS AND COMPLIANCE, SENDS.

DOD revises security clearance guidance

DOD revises security clearance guidance: "The Pentagon has cleared the way for defense industrial workers who are facing delays in renewing their security clearances to remain on the job, according to Rep. Rob Simmons (R-Conn.).

The change ?benefits workers whose recertification [is] delayed,? Simmons said in a news release. ?I?m pleased that the Pentagon has clarified its policy, and that our defense workers can get to work where and when national security requirements ? not bureaucracy ? call.? "

NMSAC recommending that TWIC project be slowed down

Maritime Spotlight at Holland & Knight: "NMSAC recommending that TWIC project be slowed down
The National Maritime Security Advisory Committee (NMSAC), sponsored by the Secretary of Homeland Security, is recommending to the Secretary that the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program be slowed down. The Committee is concerned that the public comment period was inadequate; that the technology to be utilized has not been fully tested; that affected individuals have not received adequate notice of the impact of the program; and that the significant issues regarding implementation have not been adequately addressed. While these concerns are not new, they do come from the group selected by the Secretary to advise him on such issues and thus carry added weight. (7/25/06)."

NPFC ISSUES UPDATED FACTS ON OPA 90 LIMITS ON LIABILITY

The USCG National Pollution Funds Center (NPFC) issued an updated set of Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ) (http://www.uscg.mil/hq/npfc/About%20Us/opa_faqs.htm)that includes a detailed explanation of the new OPA
90 limits on liability. Two items of particular interest: (1) the amended limits for tank vessels come into effect for an
oil discharge or substantial threat of a discharge that occurs on or after October 9, while the amended limits for any other
vessel came into effect on July 11; and (2) the existing certificates of financial responsibility (COFRs) will remain in
effect until the financial responsibility regulations are amended. The NPFC also published an Overview of Title I of
OPA 90 - http://www.uscg.mil/hq/npfc/Documents/PDFs/NPFC_OPA.pdf

T'is a benevolent God, invented coffee

Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/17/2006 | A coffee a day?: "The point is, coffee has always been more than a beverage, and its health effects have always been controversial. After all, coffee is chock-full o' the drug 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine - better known as caffeine (even decaf has caf) - plus a wholelatte other chemicals and additives.
Recently, the buzz on brew has been good. Glug enough of it, research suggests, and you'll lower your risk of diabetes, liver cirrhosis, Parkinson's disease, gallstones and suicide. You'll also sprint better."

Senator Barrios, just what are those words to the Horst Wessel Lied again?

Backstory: Is it really just a bunch of Fluff? | csmonitor.com: "A tempest in a baggie blew through the Massachusetts State House in late June, when state Sen. Jarrett Barrios (D) attempted to censor the beloved but nutritionally vapid lunchtime staple. He did so after his son came home from school eating a 'Fluffernutter' sandwich: peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff.
Mr. Barrios's amendment to a food nutrition bill would have regulated how often schools could serve Fluff to his children, and anyone else's. In retaliation, state Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein (D) sponsored a bill making Fluffernutter the state's official sandwich. Fluff, after all, is made by a Massachusetts firm - Lynn-based Durkee-Mower.
Fond of stories about oddball lawmakers, the media whipped the dispute into whitecaps, and Barrios found himself mired in a controversy that pun-happy pundits couldn't resist calling sticky.
In the end, Barrios backpedaled and never filed his amendment, and Ms. Reinstein's bill went nowhere. The result: Fluffgate - an end-of-school snit made from equal parts Cambridge liberal paternalism, local pride over a homegrown product, and garish politics - deflated like a marshmallow in the noontime sun.
The main casualty seems to have been the integrity of the Massachusetts legislature, a body some consider among the most cerebral in the nation, suddenly accused of playing nanny and not taking school nutrition seriously"

Reason: CleanFlicks v. Kate Winslet's Breasts: How Hollywood won a lawsuit while losing a cultural battle

Reason: CleanFlicks v. Kate Winslet's Breasts: How Hollywood won a lawsuit while losing a cultural battle

Protecting the Ports

Eternal truth of bureaucracy: it's more important, MUCH more important to be seen doing something than it is to ensure what you're doing is effective.
Quoth the mavens (yes, the emphasis is added):

SAN FRANCISCO, California, June 27, 2006 — A new study of U.S. seaport security delivers a message that leaders and citizens may not want to hear: Because there is no foolproof way to protect America’s ports from a terrorist attack, current policies and programs need to focus much more on recovery and economic restoration. In a report released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), a team of economists and maritime security experts looks at an array of security issues to provide one of the most comprehensive examinations of port security to date.

Bottom line:

Measures would include continuing a “layered” defense whereby there are several tracking, screening, and inspection points for shipping containers as they flow from the foreign country’s factory gate, through the maritime domain, to U.S. shores; using multiple technologies such as radiation detectors and container tracking devices; steering government development of new technologies toward areas that the private sector has no incentive to pursue; strengthening emergency response at the nation’s ports; strengthening terrorism insurance markets; and reevaluating the level of overall port security funding and staffing for public entities that focus on port security, such as the U.S. Coast Guard.

The title is a link to the full article. Don't like that, use this: http://www.ppic.org/main/publication.asp?i=698

The penalty for bread and circuses

Starting today, states and localities have to recognize promised benefits as a cost. The result is a one t-as-in-tango trillion dollar liability. Here's how USA Today put it:
"Taxpayers will soon get a surprise bill that could exceed $1 trillion for the cost of paying future medical benefits for state and local workers who retire.
"Retiree medical costs are the biggest long-term challenge that state and local governments face."

This will, from the economically dunderheaded crowd, lead to calls for nationalized health care. Except the federal gov't's not in any better shape.
"The federal government also has a $2.3 trillion unfunded liability for medical and disability benefits promised to civil servants and military personnel who retire. The costs are not the nation's biggest financial problem. Medicare has a $33.4 trillion unfunded liability. Social Security has a $4.6 trillion shortfall."
That adds up to a 41.3 Trillion dollar unfunded requirement.
Well, no problems sayeth the dunderheads. The difference: the federal government can run a deficit. It sure can. Right up to the level of Argentina, which might be part of our future. Return with me now to one year ago today, when the Washington Post ran a column on the approaching bankruptcy of the USA
IN OTHER WORDS, for those of you who aren't dunderheads, forcing an additional few trillion bucks into the federal deficit only speeds the day of reckoning which a republican, a democrat, and the Comptroller warn about.
Observe this doesn't include any cost overruns from the 43rd President's drug plan.
Final note: Social Securty, which gets most of the attention, is actually a small problem compared unfunded medical problems.
Hat tip: Jane Galt
So, what does this have to do with Maritime Policy. Well, the US has some hard choices to make. When the cuts get made, will the maritime world emerge unscathed? Should it?

ColRegs Rule!

Yep, emphasis added.
APPEALS COURT THROWS OUT LOWER COURT “COLREGS SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES RULING”, CASE REMANDED
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that agreed maneuvers between two ships do not constitute a special circumstance excusing violation of the nternational Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), as previously determined by a lower court.
Crowley Marine Services, Inc. Owned and operated a tug boat hired to accompany an oil tanker operated by Maritrans Operating Company to an oil platform in the Puget Sound. During the crossing the two vessels collided, causing more than $2 million in damages.
In the inevitable suit that followed, each side identified numerous violations of the COLREGS as the alleged cause of the collision. The district court apportioned fault for the accident as 75% to Crowley and 25% to Maritrans.
The district court found that the two vessels were operating in concert according to agreed maneuvers, and therefore determined that several substantive provisions of the COLREGS at issue were inapplicable. Specifically, the court ruled that this situation presented “special circumstances” that provide an exception to the COLREGS. The Appeals Court held that the plain language of the COLREGS precludes such a broad exception, and remanded for the district court to reconsider the relative liability of the parties consistent with this opinion.
Text of the Appeals Court opinion may be obtained by emailing request to: cibpubs@earthlink.net.

Joint Malacca Patrols

From ONI: http://pollux.nss.nima.mil/onit/onit_j_main.html
STRAIT OF MALACCA: Joint sea and air patrols of the Strait of Malacca by Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia have been brought under a single umbrella. On 21 Apr, defense chiefs of the three countries signed an agreement to form a Joint Coordinating
Committee. The agreement sets out standard procedures for the joint sea and air patrols of the busy shipping lane which were launched last year (LL, LM).
Which is a polite way of saying the bad guys can't get away by crossing boundaries between nations and between national/international waters. 'S good news.

Paving the road to hell: USCG revising licensing certification legislation

Quoth the Admiral: "We did not intend to remove any rights, benefits or duties of credentialed merchant mariners. The Coast Guard will not make any immediate changes to the existing credentials or regulations solely because of this proposal. Instead, we plan to work with mariners, industry and the public through the rulemaking process."

Ze problem, you zee, iss thisss: the Ghost Kard neffer plans to putt der skrews to der mariner unless itz a crisis. Zo, ve vait for a crisis, no?

Read it all

A day of import, or yet another reason why I don't like this branch of the Republican party!

Quoth one of the 21st Century's noblest men: "Only a few economic historians are likely to notice June 17 marks the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Hawley-Smoot tariff bill, and even economic historians are unlikely to be nostalgic about that disastrous legislation.
snip
Who was opposed? Most of the leading economists. A Page One headline in the New York Times of May 5, 1930, read: '1,028 economists ask Hoover to veto pending tariff bill.' Those signing this public appeal against the new tariffs included many top economists -- 25 professors of economics at Harvard, 26 at the University of Chicago, and 28 at Columbia.
snip
The economists' appeal spelled it out: "The proponents of higher tariffs claim that the increase in rates will give work to the idle. This is not true. We cannot increase employment by restricting trade."
Yes, the emphasis is mine.

Read it all

Court ruling expected to change Canada's health care system - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - World - News

Court ruling expected to change Canada's health care system - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - World - News: "Canada's Supreme Court dealt a powerful blow to the state monopoly on health care yesterday, striking down a Quebec ban on private health insurance for services provided under the country's system of universal coverage."

Yee-hah! Of all the pernicious assertions during HillaryCare-of-unfond-memory's run through the public square, "We have a fine example right next door in Canada", is easily the silliest.

A bit more background. I'm a [US] Navy vet. The USN has major bases near the Canadian Border: Bremerton, WA and the soon-to-be closed Shipyard in Portsmouth, NH (actually, it's in Kittery, ME, but let that go). This means that Navy people are more likely than most to have been exposed to the Canadians traipsing across the border to receive treatment which the Canadian "fine example" often wouldn't provide, um, pre-mortem.

Note that the Canadian Supreme Court found that too: Socialized Medicine Kills.

The World Health Organization ranks Canada's health system 30th in the world and the United States 37th. France, which allows private services to complement its universal system, is ranked first.

Before, my fellow Liberals, you get too enthused about quoting this factoid, please check the premises of the WHO. Hint: they shot the arrow, then drew the target.

Official: Maritime NORAD Is 'Defense In Depth'

aviation week, aerospace, airline industry, space technology, defense, aircraft, homeland security, articles, magazines, FAA, regulations, news: "06/14/2005 09:24:13 AM
By Michael Bruno
Maritime defense - including the creation of a maritime equivalent of the North American Aerospace Defense Command - presents the greatest single opportunity to beef up domestic security, according to the Defense Department's top official for homeland defense. "