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Baghdad, Iraq: 82nd Airborne Important Part Of Surge

February 29, 2008

Sgt. 1st Class Steven Llacuna, front; who hails from Orlando; Fla.; and Sgt. Jordan Bond; conduct a foot patrol through a section of Baghdad’s Ur neighborhood Feb. 24. Llacuna serves as a platoon sergeant with Company D; 2nd Battalion; 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment; 2nd Brigade Combat Team; 82nd Airborne Division; Multi-National Division – Baghdad. Bond serves as the platoon’s medic.

Photographer: Sgt. Michael Pryor
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs

Popularity: 22% [?]

Written by LibNOT_SR · Filed Under U.S News 

Health: US Stops Diabetes-Heart Disease Study After High Death Rate

February 28, 2008

Dr. Mercola has published an article that is both troubling and extremely informative for those that are saddled with the terrible disease that is diabetes. Dr. Mercola has done an admirable job of putting before the reader information that in many cases is more than they ever have received from their treating physicians.

Please read and pass this information on to others - I have an old neighbor and friend that is one of the hardest working, toughest guys I know that has diabetes (JPT) - he’ll receive this article as soon as I’m done posting the information herein.

Deaths Halt Diabetes Study

February 28, 2008

The U.S. government abruptly halted aggressive treatment in a major study of diabetes and heart disease after a surprising number of deaths occurred among patients who pushed their blood sugar to very low levels.

The 10,000-patient ACCORD was designed to investigate whether lowering blood sugar levels to below the current recommended target would help protect patients at high-risk of heart attack.

However, the study was halted 18 months early, following 257 deaths among aggressively treated patients, compared to only 203 among diabetics given more standard care. Although aggressively treated patients were actually less likely to suffer heart attacks, any heart attacks they did suffer were more likely to be fatal.

A close look at the multiple medications patients used, including the drug Avandia that is suspected of being a heart risk, showed no sign that any were to blame.
Sources:

* San Francisco Gate February 6, 2008

* National Institutes of Health, ACCORD Study Information

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

One concept that I strive to make well-known, which has the potential to save hundreds of thousands and even millions of lives, is that diabetes is not a disease of blood sugar.

Rather, it is a disease of insulin – of insulin resistance — and perhaps more importantly, of faulty leptin signaling.

Until that concept becomes well-known in both the medical community and by the public at large, this misconception will continue to be promoted in studies such as the one above, revealing the inadequacy of current conventional medical treatment for chronic diseases such as diabetes, and their erroneous advice about nutrition.

Typically, conventional treatment is focused on fixing a symptom, in this case elevated blood sugar, rather than the underlying disease. Symptoms are generally the way that nature has taught our bodies to deal with a disease – the real underlying biological or physiological problem.

Similarly, treatments that concentrate merely on lowering blood sugar for diabetes while raising insulin levels, can actually worsen rather than remedy the actual problem of metabolic miscommunication. It just trades one evil for another.

Why the Result of This Study is NOT Surprising

Since most treatments for type 2 diabetes utilize drugs that either raise insulin or lower blood sugar, the tragic result is that the typical, conventional medical treatment for diabetes contributes to the side effects and the shortened lifespan that diabetics experience.

This is what happened in this study as well. Their press release states:

“Most participants in the intensive treatment group achieved their lower blood sugar goals with combinations of Food and Drug Administration-approved diabetes medications. For both the intensive and standard treatment groups, study clinicians could use all major classes of diabetes medications available: metformin, thiazolidinediones (TZDs, primarily rosiglitazone), insulins, sulfonylureas, exanatide, and acarbose.”

Now, why don’t drugs like Actos and Avandia work? Actually, let me rephrase: why do they work so well at lowering blood sugar, yet lead to dramatically reduced health?

It’s because these drugs are what is called “PPAR-gamma agonists.” That means they activate PPAR-gamma receptors, which induces a particular response. PPAR-gamma is a nuclear receptor designed to multiply fat cells. So, the way these drugs work to lower your blood sugar is by multiplying your fat cells at a faster rate – hence making you gain weight at a more rapid pace.

Have you ever had too much junk in your garage and decided to rent a storage space rather than get rid of the excess?

That’s what you’re doing when you take these drugs. You’re consuming too much sugar – which turns into fat, and needs to be stored somewhere — but instead of reducing your consumption, you’re simply adding storage space.

Sooner or later, those fat cells become resistant to insulin as well, and you’re back to where you started – your sugars start rising again because your body has once again run out of storage space. The conventional answer is to increase your dosages, and voila! – you’re well on your way to even more serious health problems, courtesy of your excess weight and continued metabolic malfunction.

Do You REALLY Know What Insulin Does?

Contrary to what you may have been told, insulin’s main role is not to “control” blood sugar.

When blood sugar becomes elevated it is a signal for insulin to be released to direct the extra energy into storage. A small amount is stored as a starch called glycogen in our body, but the majority is stored as your main energy supply — fat. Thus, in this regard insulin’s major role is not to lower sugar, but to take the extra energy and store it for future times of need.

Insulin lowers glucose as a side effect of directing the extra energy into storage.

But, Wait… Insulin is Not the MOST Important Player in Diabetes

That honor actually goes to leptin, because the hormone leptin is largely responsible for the accuracy of insulin signaling, and whether you become insulin resistant or not.

Leptin is produced by fat, and tells your body:

*
how much energy it has; whether it needs more (signaling you to “be hungry”)
*
whether it should get rid of some (saying “stop being hungry”)
*
and most importantly, what to do with the energy already there (reproduce cells or focus on cellular repair)

There is compelling research indicating that the two most important organs that determine whether you become diabetic or not are your liver and your brain. And, it is their ability to listen to leptin that will determine this.

So, how do you make sure your brain and liver can hear the signals emanating from your leptin hormone, and don’t start to tune them out?

If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try Reading the Directions

This fast age seem more concerned about speed than direction, with devastating results. By some estimates, diabetes has increased more than 700 percent in the last 50 years. What does this tell us about the direction we’ve been following?

* First, diabetes cannot be primarily a genetic disease, since the prior statistic has taken place within the same generation, and presumably contains essentially the same genetics, and
* Secondly, something that we have been doing is obviously wrong and needs to be changed.

That “something” is diet.

It is difficult, or perhaps even impossible, to actually prove that something is true. However, it is not difficult to prove that something is false. For the last 50 years or so, Americans have followed the dietary recommendations of a high complex carbohydrate, low saturated fat diet.

As an example, WebMD; one of the most visited medical information sites on the web, states that people with diabetes, who also have abnormal cholesterol levels, would be well advised to follow a diet that calls for 50 to 60 percent of your daily total calories to be in the form of carbohydrates.

They also state that table sugar is okay, as long as you readjust your medications to compensate appropriately (i.e. take more drugs to increase your fat cell storage capacity). Using artificial sweeteners in lieu of sugar also gets the green light, but I won’t rant about that here.

While much of their advice is fine, and tries to remain well-balanced, the problem with these conventional recommendations lies in the details. Concomitant with that standard recommendation the incidence of diabetes and obesity has skyrocketed, and has become one of the worst epidemics the world has ever seen.

Eating a high “complex” carbohydrate, low saturated fat diet for health and longevity has been shown to be wrong. Minimal common sense would say to try something else.

What’s the Missing Dietary Link?

That would be an eating plan that emphasizes good fats and reduced non-fiber carbohydrates and starches as outlined in my Total Health Program. Doing so will greatly improve and even reverse type 2 “insulin resistant” diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, many other chronic diseases of aging, all without the use of potentially dangerous drugs.

Related Articles:

Doctors Cause Diabetics to D. I. E

How to Finally Make Type 2 Diabetes Disappear

Lifestyle Changes Better Than Drugs for Diabetes

© Copyright 2005 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.

From Dr. Mercola’s web site the following DISCLAIMER.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

Popularity: 41% [?]

Written by LibNOT_SR · Filed Under Health, U.S News 

Humor: Some Questions That Lawyers Should Never Ask

February 28, 2008

Thanks Spike! This is truly funny.

Lawyers should never ask a Southern grandma a question if they aren’t prepared for the answer. In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grand motherly, elderly woman to the stand.

He approached her and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?” She responded, “Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I’ve known you since you were a young boy, and frankly, you’ve been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your
wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you’re a big shot when you haven’t the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.” The lawyer was stunned!

Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?” She again replied, “Why, yes, I do. I’ve known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He’s lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can’t build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him.”

The defense attorney almost died. The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said, “If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I’ll send you to the electric chair.”

Popularity: 21% [?]

Written by LibNOT_SR · Filed Under Humor 

Afghanistan: Afghan Security Forces Play Major Roll In New Operations

February 28, 2008

Coalition Forces in Eastern Afghanistan Increase Operations

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2008 – Coalition and Afghan forces in Regional Command East have increased the operations tempo 300 percent over this time last year, a top officer in Afghanistan said today.

Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Votel, Combined Joint Task force 82 deputy commander for operations, said the jump in operations tempo is due primarily to the increased capacity of the Afghan security forces in the region.

There have been 36 attacks in the 14 provinces of Regional Command East this month, putting it on pace to be 35 percent below February 2007 numbers.

“Our tactical focus in the last couple of weeks has been the interdiction of (improvised-explosive-device) facilitators and continuing to focus on freedom of movement in the command,” Votel said in a conference call from his unit’s headquarters at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.

The operational focus is to extend the reach of the Afghan government to let economic development take place.

Afghan security forces, particularly the country’s army, remain in the lead with support from coalition forces, the general said.

“Their proficiency continues to grow,” he said. “One of the key things we’re seeing right now is with their commando battalions; they are very highly trained and are operating throughout our area and having some very good effects. We think, ultimately, this capability is going to raise the standard throughout the army.”

The command had the first two police units return after intensive retraining. “We look forward to evaluating how this training went and how well the police perform,” Votel said.

Security cooperation continues among the Afghans, Pakistanis and ISAF in the border region.

“In March, we will open our first border cooperation center, which will be a jointly manned facility … designed to improve our cooperation and coordination along the border,” Votel said.

District and provincial governments are starting to take responsibility for limiting insurgent activities in their areas, he said.

“We’ve had several locations here where the district and provincial councils have stood up to the insurgents and indicated they will no longer tolerate their presence,” Votel said.

Provincial governments also are taking the lead in development projects. New bridges, roads and clinics are among projects going forward. “We are starting to see progress in some of our more troubled districts here with tribal elders and businessmen coming forward to recognize the progress that is being made,” the general said.

In addition, Afghan ministries and the coalition are working together to provide health care. Votel said the program has brought health care to thousands and is “hugely popular” throughout the command area.

“We will soon be joined here by a provincial reconstruction team from the Czech Republic,” Votel said. “They are going to be another member of our very progressive group of forces that includes not only the United States, but Poland, Turkey, New Zealand, French and Egyptian forces.”

However, Afghanistan still presents large challenges. “Capacity building with the Afghan National Police is a concern,” he said. “The continuing corruption problem is something we address on a regular basis.”

The command is seeing links between narcotics and insurgents. “That’s a challenge that has to be addressed,” Votel said.

Controlling the border with Pakistan is going to be a long-term problem, in part because the Border Police are the least trained of Afghanistan’s security services, Votel said.

“Finally, while we’ve made progress in power and agriculture, there is a long way to go there,” he said. The Afghan government needs to develop more power-generating capability and needs to invest in infrastructure to get crops from the fields to the market.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Written by LibNOT_SR · Filed Under U.S News, War On Terror 

US Navy: ‘New York’ To Be Christened - Steel From World Trade Center Used In Construction

February 28, 2008

Navy Christens Amphibious Transport Dock Ship New York

The Navy will christen the newest San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship New York (LPD 21) at 10 a.m. CST on Saturday, March 1, 2008, during a ceremony at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding facilities in New Orleans, La.

The ship is named New York in honor of the state, the city and the victims of Sept. 11, 2001. A unique characteristic of the ship is the use of 7.5 tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center wreckage that was incorporated into the construction process. The steel was melted and formed to make the bow stem of the ship. Use of this steel symbolizes the spirit and resiliency of the people of New York. The official motto of New York is: “Never Forget.”

Four previous ships have been named New York. The first, a gondola that served in 1776; the second, a frigate that served 1800-1814; the third, an armored cruiser that served 1893-1938; and the fourth, a battleship that served 1914-1946.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. His wife, Mrs. Dotty England is serving as the ship’s sponsor. The ceremony will be highlighted in the time-honored Navy tradition when she will break a bottle of champagne across the ship’s bow to formally christen the ship.

Designated LPD 21, New York is the fifth amphibious transport dock ship in the San Antonio class. As an element of future expeditionary strike groups, the ship will support the Marine Corps “mobility triad,” which consists of the landing craft air cushion vehicle (LCAC), the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) and the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft (MV-22). New York will support amphibious, special operations and expeditionary warfare missions.

Cmdr. F. Curtis Jones, of Binghamton, N.Y., is the ship’s first commanding officer and will lead a crew of 360 officers and enlisted Navy personnel and three Marines. The ship is capable of embarking a landing force of up to 800 Marines.

Built by Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, New York is 684 feet in length, has an overall beam of 105 feet, a navigational draft of 23 feet and displaces approximately 24,900 tons. Four turbo-charged diesels power the ship to sustained speeds of 24 knots. Upon commissioning in 2009, New York will be homeported in Norfolk, Va., as a part of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

For additional information about this class of ship, please visit the Navy Fact File: http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=600&ct=4 .

Popularity: 26% [?]

Written by LibNOT_SR · Filed Under U.S News, War On Terror 

Breaking News: William F. Buckley Jr. - Dead At 82 Years

February 27, 2008

From FoxNews.com

NEW YORK — Author and conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr. has died at age 82.

His assistant Linda Bridges says Buckley died Wednesday morning at his home in Stamford, Conn.

Buckley became famous for his intellectual political writings in his magazine, the National Review.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Written by LibNOT_SR · Filed Under U.S News 

Humor: Ten Signs You Might Be A Taliban

February 27, 2008

Ten signs you might be a Taliban

10. You refine heroin for a living, but you have a moral objection to beer.

9. You own a $300 machine gun and a $5,000 rocket launcher, but you can’t afford shoes.

8. You have more wives than teeth.

7. You think vests come in two styles: bullet-proof and suicide.

6. You can’t think of anyone you HAVEN’T declared Jihad against.

5. You consider television dangerous, but routinely carry ammunition in your robe.

4. You’ve never been asked, “Does this burka make my butt look big?”

3. You were amazed to discover that cell phones have uses other than setting off roadside bombs.

2. A common compliment is, “I love what you’ve done with your cave.”

And, the NUMBER ONE SIGN you might be a member of the Taliban:

1. You wipe your butt with your bare hand, but consider bacon unclean.

Thanks to Spike, again, for sending this email to libNOT.com

Popularity: 51% [?]

Written by LibNOT_SR · Filed Under Humor, War On Terror 

Osama Bin “London” - Mohammed Hamid - found guilty in major terror trial in the U.K

February 27, 2008

Mohammed Hamid, who called himself the “Osama bin London”, has been convicted of running terrorist training camps in the Britain. Four failed suicide bombers who were arrested in 2006 were his students.

A man said to be one of the most important recruiters for Islamist extremism in the UK has been convicted at the end of a major trial.

Mohammed Hamid, 50, of east London, was found guilty of training men in secret camps in the Lake District and New Forest to prepare them to fight abroad.

Among those to have passed through Hamid’s camps were the four failed suicide bombers of 21 July 2005.

All four of the men responsible for the failed bombings were friends of Hamid.

The conviction marks a major success for counter-terrorism policing with Hamid regarded as a key figure in extremist networks.

Police say Hamid played a crucial role in grooming young men for terrorism and possible training overseas.

Hamid’s training came in the form of camping trips around the UK and late night talks in the living room of his home.

Prosecutors said he sought to groom impressionable young men, a process that had only intensified after the July 2005 suicide bombings.

Hamid, 50, was found guilty of three counts of soliciting to murder and three counts of providing terrorism training. The jury at Woolwich Crown Court found him not guilty of providing weapons training at camps.

This is just another example of how much trouble Britain is in with from within their own population. We think we have some problems here? Britain and the rest of Europe is dealing with so many local jihadists and extreme Islam. Our problems in the United States pale by comparison.

Popularity: 30% [?]

Written by LibNOT_jr · Filed Under War On Terror 

China & USA: The War Has Begun - Is Anyone Listening - Is Anyone Aware?

February 26, 2008

China: The Elephant in the Room, by Brock Grisham.

This article was exclusively provided to www.libnot.com

When most Americans think of China , certain images come to mind: smiling faces with gracious bows, the Great Wall stretching into the distance, or maybe your favorite restaurant with menus full of ancient wisdom. Regardless of your frame of reference, China is the great elephant in our global living room. Despite her tame exterior, a maelstrom is brewing inside…

We sleep safe at night, unmolested by foreign armies or threat of invasion. With Pearl Harbor now ancient history to our generation, foreign troops invading American soil has become a laughable, paranoid fantasy harbored by grumpy old men in need of Prozac. I submit to you that our history may be our future.

We have grown accustomed to our American way of life. We pilot our climate controlled automobiles down long paved roads, enjoy an instant meal at the mile marker of our choosing and indulge in tokens of our prosperity at the local shopping mall. Even the poorest American Families have at least one color TV, an automobile and a roof over their heads. We are consumers; consumed with ourselves, our lives and the moment in which we live.

What if…(just humor me for a second), what if this all went away? What if all you knew to be normal, rational and habitual ceased to exist? What then? It’s OK now, you can go back to reality; I did not mean to scare you. Of course being paranoid and being aware are two totally different things. I seek to make you aware.

China ’s booming economy and political influence has made it a major player in every facet of world affairs. We’re not talking about the price of tea or the United Nations: but tangible, everyday influences on our lives as Americans. China ’s exponential economic growth is responsible for ongoing increases in the price of oil and raw materials. Each of these materials significantly impacts the United States consumers and businesses.

China ’s ravenous use of oil and gas to fuel her behemoth hearth is one of the main reasons the price of gas is skyrocketing. Forget ten cents here and five cents there, we’re talking a fifty percent increase in just a few years – it’s here to stay. The big oil companies and their distributors can get away with it because they know countries like China need it. It’s the age old rule of supply and demand.

Ask an engineer or builder about the price of steel. Better yet, ask them where they can find a large surplus to support a major construction project. It’s all going to one place, which means we’re paying a premium for it here at home. There is no surplus and there is no inexpensive steel to be had. What’s ironic about this entire process is that much of the steel returns to the US in the forms of manufactured items. Whether we buy these products directly or use them during our lifetime, we are paying for them.

Outsourcing has also become big business for our neighbor to the East. Labor is cheap and plentiful. You will never hear the workers complain about conditions, hours or union labor laws. Try to find something that is not “Made in China ” at your local Wal-Mart. While not impossible, it is increasingly difficult.

I worked for a Military contractor for over a decade who is now sending computer chassis to China for machining and final assembly. While the company expects overall quality to suffer, it is confident that enough units will pass their quality inspection. The overall savings calculates to more profit in the executive’s pockets at year’s end. The end users of these rugged computers are our soldiers, sailors and airmen. This is just one example - thousands more exist.

Sure, outsourcing makes some things cheaper. Sometimes the price stays the same and the seller makes a greater profit. Sometimes the consumer winds up with junk, tainted products and safety recalls. This is the natural result of our desperate need to consume. Like it or not, our daily lives are now entangled with China ’s economy.

Better, faster, cheaper is the American way and the Chinese haven’t missed a beat. While I am far from being an economist, the overwhelming fact is that the Chinese machine controls vast swaths of our economy. China is the shampoo in your hair, the food you eat and the shoes on your feet. Even our banking system is borrowing money from China to support our sputtering economy.

The US economy depends intimately on China ; both its products and services. It’s a delicate quilt perpetually interwoven with the thread of international finance, banking and trade. This symbiotic relationship is perhaps the only thing keeping the great elephant in check.

China ’s military machine is also growing exponentially. Much like its economy, China seeks to dominate. Military spending has skyrocketed over the last decade. This is a direct result of the economic boom fueled by United States consumerism. We are financing the juggernaut that will eventually consume us.

China boasts the world’s largest active military with over 7 million members. On tap are an additional 250 Million Men and an equal number of Women fit for military service according to the CIA. China ’s Blue Water Navy and Space Program are of particular interest, as they appear to be a direct challenge to US dominance.

Last year, China shot down one of their own satellites with missile and computer technology given to them by the Clinton administration. (To be fair, the Clinton Administration was to the Chinese as the Bush Administration is to the Saudi’s.) This was as much of a test as it was a public statement to the US – “we’ll shoot your eye out”! It worked - now we are redirecting vital resources to counter this threat.

Our military depends on satellites for communication, navigation and intelligence. Without these satellites, many of our capabilities developed over that last 20 years will fail to work. GPS, Smart Bombs, Battlefield Communications – you name it. In essence, our edge goes away and our enemies level the playing field.

Their Navy is now pointed directly at Taiwan . The type of ships, their missions and their numbers support this. This is in addition to open threats of hostility and political medaling. It would not surprise me to wake up one morning to find the Chinese invading Taiwan . What would it take to ignite this bonfire? Not much.

Not surprisingly, China and Russia have grown very close lately, conducting several high profile joint maneuvers over the last year. And why not? Their goals are similar: neuter the America ’s global domination. The Russian have recently resumed their cold war flights and have started conducting massive Naval maneuvers that haven’t been seen in over 20 years. Anyone remember the secret pacts during the second World War? Anyone? Anyone? Beuller?

The Chinese are also voraciously gathering intelligence from foreign sympathizers, military contractors and Chinese nationals working within the US . Second only to the Russians, they boast the most active intelligence gathering operation. While not the smoothest operators, the sheer manpower and audacity of these incursions put them in first place.

Without going into details (I value my job and would like to avoid having a cell mate), Chinese operators attempt to garner military secrets, corporate information and human intelligence on a daily basis. Just recently, a former DOD contractor and Chinese national were arrested for passing secrets to the Chinese Government. Believe me when I say that much, much more is going on that you will never hear about.

With the Olympics coming up, expect to hear more of the same. While the city of Beijing is cleaning up, moving out the elderly and implementing internal security measures, something else is happening. Hotel rooms are being “prepared”, personnel backgrounds are “checked” and electronic services for visitors are being “arranged”. Of special interest are current or former military/DOD members and military contractors. If you thought the Russian spy stories of the 80’s were something, just wait.

As you read this, war is being waged with China . It has already started. Did you miss it? Probably so, but it’s not too late to become aware. It is currently being fought on my battleground and I assure you that the enemy is real. It is just as real as that “Made in China ” chair you are sitting in right now.

Everything you do is electronic. EVERYTHING. The money you make, the groceries you buy and the phone call to your grandmother. It all depends on a vast network of power grids, electronic switches, mainframe servers and digital storage. Your life, your savings, your health care, your job, your consumer lifestyle is built on 1’s and 0’s. Your life is under attack at this very second.

My job is to protect our Government’s computer systems against the enemy. I cannot overemphasize just how real this enemy is. The Chinese wish to do us harm. Thousands of PLA soldiers do nothing more all day than attempt to break into our networks. Like ants before a storm, they comb forums, blogs and news stories in an attempt to discover vulnerabilities in current hardware and software products.

Known as COMPUSEC, DOD implements countermeasure against these threats. While these are classified in nature, it’s sufficient to say that we are well protected by a dedicated group of professionals that take these threats seriously. However, no system is perfect, includeing those you depend on every day as a consumer.

With that being said, much of the military’s infrastructure is now based online, making it extremely vulnerable – the Military is also a consumer. Entire supply systems, electronic pay, medical records, weather forecasts – you name it – is online. While the majority of systems are well protected and the data is encrypted, all but the most sensitive systems are still vulnerable to a completed internet or network outage caused by a well crafted intrusion.

Our information systems are weapons: cocked, locked and loaded. These critical systems are just that, but make up a small portion of the overall picture. The vast majority of operations use the same internet as you do at home to communicate with each other. I can tell you that when outages do occur, things become difficult, almost impossible, to keep our well trained military running.

While electronic attacks will not keep the infantry soldier from shooting his weapon, it can very well keep him from being resupplied, paid or fed. It can keep airplanes on the ground. It can keep ships in port. An outage keeps us from doing the things the military has come to rely on as mission essential. These electronic conveniences have themselves become critical to daily operations in the military. (Just ask the Colonel who called the other day about his unit’s website – he was livid that they could not perform their mission without it, and he was right!)

While our enemies can simply eat rice and live in huts if denied access to information systems, the United States of America looses it’s advantage to win a war. A cleverly crafted virus, vulnerability exploit or malicious file inserted into certain systems could bring us to our knees. Recent viruses discovered are far beyond the realm of basement hackers and have been tracked to China . For those of us in the field, it comes as no surprise.

Incidents occur everyday that you will never hear about. Some things keep me up at night, as they should. Released to the general public, this information would literally cause such a backlash against China , that current and future relations would be permanently damaged. This is but one of the reasons that secrets are kept secret. Sometimes we just watch, other times we react, but most times we prevent.

Based on current actions and recent history, China will attempt to bring down our information systems before a major attack, crippling our military infrastructure and subsequent reaction time. From there, China can move on Taiwan . The US , tied to China for its lively hood and unable to quickly react, would fight a proxy war and forego direct conflict, despite our guarantees to the contrary.

Gauging the US reaction (or lack of) over Taiwan , the Chinese continue from there. The Russians have their back, promoting their own brand of world domination, once again a major power on the world stage. They supply China as required and crate the necessary diversions in the Middle East, in essence tying the US up in Iran or Syria , another proxy war used to circumvent the use of all out nuclear war.

While just a scenario, we see both China and Russia seeking world power status. One cannot do it without the other. There is a reason the Chinese are already attacking us. There is a reason the Russians are provoking us. There is a reason these two countries are becoming close to include joint maneuvers. It’s not difficult to imagine another Pearl Harbor: warning signs included.

All it takes is a political statement from Taiwan , a strike on Iran (which is a major supplier of oil to both China and Russia ) or another Arab attack on Israel . We are primed for a Chinese attack; they have already started. We are busy in the middle east, already under attack electronically and are economically tied to the China . We are in no position to directly oppose an assault on Taiwan , opening the door for all out Chinese domination.

To be fair, the US is involved in many places that it should not be. We are everywhere and anywhere spreading democracy in places that neither want nor deserve it. We are in desperate need of the money, troops and manpower at home. While we never want to close our eyes to the world outside of our boarders, neither do we want to neglect the homeland.

We are under attack at this very minute. The stage is set for a new superpower that already controls our lives and livelihood. No tactic that I have ever learned as a Ranger has prepared me for a human wave attack. The Chinese can throw more soldiers at us than we have bullets, missiles or rockets.

Without our information systems, satellites and other “smart” weapons, fighting a conventional war with China would be next to impossible. The Chinese know this better than anyone. I find it ironic that we are outsourcing this same military equipment to our future foe.

Maybe they will ship it to us before the fighting starts…
_____________________________________________
The author, Brock Grisham, a pseudonym, is a long time, trusted friend of libNOTSr.

Brock is a Senior IT Security Manager for the Department of Defense. He served as a US Army Ranger under the Special Operations Command in the 90’s. He enjoys spending time with his wife and young daughter, collecting firearms and computers.

All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2008, www.libnot.com. Contact admin@libnot.com for reprint permission.

Popularity: 68% [?]

Written by LibNOT_SR · Filed Under Politics, U.S News, War On Terror 

Humor: The Godfather and the $10 Million.

February 25, 2008

The Godfather finds out that his bookkeeper has cheated him out of ten million bucks. His bookkeeper is deaf. That was the reason he got the job in the first place. It was assumed that a deaf bookkeeper would not hear anything that he might have to testify about in court. When the Godfather goes to confront the bookkeeper about his missing $10 million, he brings along his attorney, who knows sign language.

The Godfather tells the lawyer, “Ask him where the 10 million bucks he embezzled from me is.”

The attorney, using sign language, asks the bookkeeper where the money is.

The bookkeeper signs back: “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

The attorney tells the Godfather: “He says he doesn’t know what you’re talking about.”

The Godfather pulls out a pistol, puts it to the bookkeeper’s temple and says, “Ask him again!”

The attorney signs to the bookkeeper: “He’ll kill you if you don’t tell him!”

The bookkeeper signs back: “OK! You win! The money is in a brown briefcase, buried behind the shed in my cousin Enzo’s backyard in Queens !”

The Godfather asks the attorney: “Well, what’d he say?”

The attorney replies: “He says you don’t have the guts to pull the trigger”

Don’t you just love lawyers?

Thanks to Spike for sending this in.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Written by LibNOT_SR · Filed Under Humor 

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