After the Storm

After the Storm

Jon Kaskin Retiring

From Maritime Memos:

Anybody who's been involved with T-ships over the past 30-something years knows Jon Kaskin, the Navy's Director of Strategic Mobility and Combat Logistics, who retires tomorrow. The picture at the right shows him getting the Distinguished Civilian Service Award yesterday from Under-Secretary Bob Work. Read the story in the Bangor Daily News here. Jon understood both the technical issues and the business issues, knew how to handle politicians, admirals and shipbuilders, and never seemed to lose his cool. This is a rare opportunity to say "He'll be missed" and mean it. The Navy could use a few more like him. June 28, 2012.

Jon is one of those extraordinarily rare individuals who never spoke behind others' backs. Consequently, he well and truly pissed off virtually everyone. Those that got mad at him rarely acknowledged that the Navy -- hell, all of the bluidy flippin' government needs someone to say: "OK, we need to buy this; can we buy it cheaper? Do we need this number?

USNS Guam Towed Out

On Saturday, MSC towed the USNS Guam, (ex-Huakai) from its lay-berth in Norfolk. Towed? She won't operate on her own power? What does that mean? They are taking her to Detyens, in Charleston, to modify her for service with III MEF in the Western Pacific. July 2, 2012. P.S.: Apparently the Navy had to tow her to Charleston because our incompetent MARitime ADministration had allowed her documentation to expire. Detyens' primary task is to renew her USCG and ABS paperwork: the mods for her operation with the Marine Corps come later. July 6, 2012.

Althouse: "The latest survey on the Supreme Court was conduc...

Althouse: "The latest survey on the Supreme Court was conduc...: "Overall, there were few differences in the topline results between the two nights. However, there were sizable partisan shifts. On Wednesda...

From Iraq to Beaumont: the Ocean Crescent brings the last cargo home, prepares for its next mission - Welcome to the FastLane: The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation

From Iraq to Beaumont: the Ocean Crescent brings the last cargo home, prepares for its next mission - Welcome to the FastLane: The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation

DAWN OF THE CONTAINER REVOLUTION

On 26 April 1956, the [Tankship] Ideal-X left the Port of Newark, New Jersey, bound for Houston, Texas. She carried 58 35-foot containers, along with her liquid cargo. This ship was converted under the initiative of Malcolm McLean, a trucking magnate who saw the tremendous potential of containerization. In 1960, McLean founded SeaLand, a major container shipping line, which was purchased by Maersk in 1999. The Ideal X carried containers until 1965, when she was scrapped.

Will the maritime unions stay?

Money quote:

The maritime unions, on the other hand, have a lot to think about. And, their leadership has a lot to explain to their membership should they decide to endorse the current administration for a second term. Would a pro-business GOP crew treat them any better?

everyone remember when the unions tried to rally the troops in 1980?

Santorum’s lost message - TheHill.com

There is still a place for a straightforward fiscal conservative.  Santorum's not it. 
Quoth the Maven, "Said Brooks to the Honorable Rick"Money quote:
        Santorum’s lost message - TheHill.com

"Combined with his push for fewer business regulations and less taxation, Santorum’s message on ObamaCare was all he needed to win over enough Romney voters to close the gap and beat him. It was the key to his appeal to independent voters, and to those voters focused more on the economy than the social issues Santorum has built a reputation championing.

"But he strayed, and lost Ohio by 1 percentage point. Then he strayed again, decrying the dangers of porn, claiming the Obama administration “seems to favor pornographers over children and families” because it has “refused to enforce obscenity laws.” So this week he lost Illinois by more than 11 points. He won’t recover."

NOAA Prepares To Phase Out Navigation Response Teams | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine

I can make the case that this is an old trick of the Bureaucracy known as closing the Washington Monument.  Some years ago, the National Park Service's budget was threatened with a cut.  NPS announced the cut would force them to close the Washington Monument to the public.  To the surprise of no one -- probably including the legislators who directed the budget cut -- the funds were restored.

This is a cut in one of NOAA's more popular programs.  Stand by.
NOAA Prepares To Phase Out Navigation Response Teams | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine

Maritime Week in Washington D.C., May 7-9, 2012 | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine

Maritime Week in Washington D.C., May 7-9, 2012 | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine

Nooze youze can youze: A Guide to the Presidential Candidates’ Proposals to Cut Spending – Tenth Amendment Center Blog

Money quote:

There are multiple ways to skin this cat, but I decided to put together a comparison table based solely on the content found on each candidate’s campaign website. I did not consider past statements or votes, the televised debates, or outside sources (unless linked to by a campaign’s website). The idea is that statements on each candidate’s website should offer the clearest indication of their intentions should they become president.

A Guide to the Presidential Candidates’ Proposals to Cut Spending – Tenth Amendment Center Blog

Sea Shepherd Activists Using Drones to Track Japanese Whalers | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine

I, personally, am somewhat curious about Bayshore Recycling's ownership of long-range drones!

As tensions rise between Japanese whalers and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in the recent lawsuit brought by the Japanese, Sea Shepherd has a new ally on their hands: drone aircrafts.

The whale activists have been locked in a heated and exponentially worsening battle with the Japanese whalers, and in light of the situation, Bayshore Recycling Corp. of New Jersey has donated two long-range drones equipped with detection capabilities and cameras which help to scan hundreds more miles of ocean for whaling ships. The drones have been outfitted on two Sea Shepherd vessels, the Steve Irwin and Bob Barker, and it has already yielded success.

Capt. Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd’s ship, Steve Irwin, said that these drones have proven to be “valuable assets” to the mission and that one drone already located Japanese ship, Nisshin Maru, off the coast of Western Australia this past Saturday.

Read the rest here.

Oath Keepers

they make a good point:

I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God

Your Oath NEVER expires!

Oath Keepers » Oath Keepers – Guardians of the Republic

what makes te poor, poor?

Ye money quote from Megan McArdle

“it’s all too common for well-meaning middle class people to think that if the poor just had the same stuff we do, they wouldn’t be poor any more (where ‘stuff’ includes anything from a college education to a marriage license to a home).

Note, however, that a high-school education, waiting until age 25 to have children and a two-parent home ARE statistically significant co-incidences.

Instapundit » Blog Archive » MEGAN MCARDLE: “it’s all too common for well-meaning middle class people to think that if the poor …

This has been addressed for most of a century now. probably longer. Heck, Daniel P Moynihan damn near got drummed out of the right-thinking crew on his issue.

Debt Without and With Sequestration | Mercatus

Can't say this often enough:

"sequestration increases spending by $1.65 trillion between 2012-2021"

Sequestration in Perspective: Debt Without and With Sequestration | Mercatus

Former Democratic Pollsters: Obama Should Abandon Run for Second Term

Oookkkaaayyyy.

Let's see... there hasn't been a Donk POTUS who would have been elected since LBJ. So...

1. If Obama bails, is there any chance the Black vote will be as enthusiastic as they were in 2008?
2. Can a D be elected w/o the black vote
3. Are the comments about voting for Romney (note the assumption)just to show the Ds not to assume the Black vote actually reflecting a significant number?

Russian Freighter Disappears in White Sea, 11 Missing - UPDATE | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine

Marie Celeste, white courtesy phone.

Instapundit » THEY TOLD ME IF I VOTED FOR JOHN MCCAIN, WE’D SEE MASS DEPORTATIONS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. AND THEY…

Actually, I didn't vote for McCain, but Reynolds makes a good point anyway.

MQ: Oh, who am I kidding? Nobody told me that would happen if I voted for McCain . . . .

Teacher penalizes students for saying "bless you" | abc30.com

And here I thought university education departments were making an effort to remove mouth-breathers from their student body!
Teacher penalizes students for saying "bless you" | abc30.com

Twitter / @krauthammer: Earthquake, hurricane, Oba ...

Twitter / @krauthammer: Earthquake, hurricane, Oba ...">Earthquake, hurricane, Obamacare. When does it stop? Seven more and I vote we let the Israelites go.