WA State's I-5 Artery Severed

As an Washington State Emergency Operations Officer, working in the Alert & Warning Center (A&WC), sometimes all it takes is one phone call to turn a slow, boring shift into a flurry of frantic activity. 

Last night turned out to be a case of that "one phone call."  Shortly after 1900 hours (7 PM), I stepped out for a bathroom break.  When I sauntered back into the A&WC, I asked my partner, Bruce, "all quiet?"

He responded, "actually--no."

While I was out, he took a call from a Skagit County dispatcher, who merely said, "the I-5 Bridge collapsed and we're deploying our dive team, because there's vehicles in the water."

For two hours Bruce and I were deluged with phone calls.  But within the first hour, our Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activated to "Phase-II" (partial activation) and several folks came in to help take this incident off our hands.

Fortunately no one was hurt, or killed, while officials from the surrounding counties called to say they had assets available to assist.  By mid-evening, the only thing Skagit County wanted was someone from the WA State Emergency Management to be dispatched to their EOC and act as a state liaison.

Then things quieted down--a little.  Shortly before 2300 hours (11 PM) the West Coast-Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WCATWC) reported an 8.2 magnitude earthquake in the Sea of Okhotsk--and that they would be trying to determine if there was any tsunami danger.  In less than an hour, we all breathed a sigh of relief, when the WCATWC reported there was no tsunami danger. 

The local news agencies covered this story on-scene for a few hours.  By the wee hours of the morning, the national networks began reporting this incident.

Despite this story making national notoriety, here's Seattle Times headline.

No Superheroes Allowed in Preschool

(Image:  Justice League from DC Comics)

Ever wonder when "educators" start indoctrinating kids to become sheeple?

In some places, right from the get-go in preschool. 

This one particular school fretted so much over their dear little charges that they've tried to ban kids from playing superheroes. 

But there is some hope for America.  Most of the comments are of the "WTF?" variety.  Not to mention astute readers catching the typos and syntax errors on the flier.

Nor did the folks at Blastr do a good job at redacting the school's name:  Tuny Haven International Learning Center, Philadelphia.

"Youthful" Rampages Across Europe

(Image:  Crime Scene at Woolwich)

"Youths," the euphemism European news agencies use hide the ethnic persuasion of suspects, are at it again.

But most of us can read between the lines and can deduce these "youths" are non-European and most likely Muslim.

But to go along with the charade, "youths" have been rioting in Stockholm, Sweden for over two nights now.  They're angry at the police for shooting a man brandishing a machete.

Across the North Sea in Great Britain, a machete (or sword) was used to kill and behead a British soldier.  The barbaric murder of the soldier--and the suspects parading around the street bragging about it--prompted emergency meetings in the British Government and attempted retaliation by the English Defense League. 

Meanwhile within our own borders, the FBI shot a man during questioning about the Boston Marathon Bombing. 

Comrade Karla stated the obvious: 

It’s now pretty clear to me that this wasn’t just 1 or 2 kids doing this on a lark—obviously far more people “knew something” than our administration would like to publicize.  But it’s like not wanting to take military action to nail the Benghazi terrorists. That would smack of, well, actually DOING something that required hard choices (or Gitmo).

Maybe someday, Western Civilization will shake off the politically correct shackles.  Otherwise, after every terrorist incident, we'll hear more of the same...

(Image by Warren)

Where in the World is the POTUS?

(Image by Lisa Benson)

 

There's a simple question Obama and his Court can't seem to answer:  Where was the President of the United States (POTUS) on 11 Sep 2012, when our consulate in Benghazi was under attack?  In From the Cold delves into this mystery in:  POTUS Wherabouts Unknown.

 

(Image by Bob Gorrell)

 

 

This, however, isn't the only scandal brewing within the beltway, (at least to 53% of us).  Up until now, Our Dear Leader has managed to appear to be "out of the room" at convenient moments.  For the IRS scandal though, The American Spectator may have come across a smoking gun. 

 

And it looks like more whistleblowers may be stepping forward with damning information.

 

Oh, and Fast & Furious may be making a comeback. 

 

Anyone remember that scandal? By Jay Carney's reconning, it was even a longer time ago than Benghazi.

(Image by Jerry Holbert)

The Voices (and Arms) of Tyranny

(Image from:  The People's Cube)

 

The IRS scandal continues to unfold.  The latest update is:  The IRS's Director of Exempt Organizations will be pleading the 5th Amendment before Congress.  Carol Platt Liebau discusses what this does and doesn't do for Lois Lerner.

 

Meanhile, VDH reflects on what it's like living here in Oceania.

 

How is it possible that nearly half of our voting public doesn't believe there's even one scandal, let alone thre, going on?  The Diplomad discusses how the "low informed" have put and are keeping Our Dear Leader in power.  ("Low informed/low information" is a term I'm starting to hear more often in news and commentary sites to describe clueless voters).

 

Everyone should be concerned, because maybe, just maybe, a conservative-ish president might get elected.  Liberal groups and individuals won't want to find themselves in the government's cross hairs, like Catherine and Bryan Engelbrecht have.

 

(Image by Ramirez)

Tornado Devastation in Oklahoma

 

Yesterday a massive tornado swept through Oklahoma, cuting a swath of destruction through the town of Moore. 

 

Here's what things look like on a storm tracker program...

 

 

...but the view on the ground is a lot harsher. 

 

 

Even sadder is that 24 people, including 9 children lost their lives.  The search for survivors is drawing to a close and the task of rebuilding has just begun.

 

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the storm.

 

Fitness = Conservativism?

It's time to hit the gym guys!

Not just to keep our bodies healthy and strong, but according to this study, it makes men more likely to hold conservative political views.

And while we're at the gym, reading The Wealth of Nations while on a stationary bicycle, avoid these timewasters.   (Although I admit, I'm guilty of doing some of them).

Risk Averse (Non)Leadership

(Image:  Chamberlain at Little Round Top, by Mort Kunstler)

It appears as though the concept of "marching to the sound of the guns" is no longer being taught at our military war colleges. 

As the attack on our consulate in Benghazi unfolded, military personnel were told to stand down. 

(As a former military member myself, I can't imagine anything more frustrating than knowing that my comrades-in-arms are fighting for their lives--and then being told not don't bother helping). 

Since then, former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, along with George Will and James Cartwright, have come up with several lame excuses why it was "too dangerous" to send reinforcements.

Would doing so have saved Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods?

Maybe not.

But then again--maybe they could have.  It's not like anyone knew how long the attack was going to last.

The point is:  The deployment of a counterterrorism response team was ruled out from the start. 

In short--someone, or a group of someones, didn't even try to save Americans under siege.

The question still remains:  Who gave the stand down orders?

Who Knew What, When?

(Image from FOX 28)

One of the recurring themes during the past scandal-laced week has been, what Carol Platt Liebau has called the Sgt Schultz defense by Our Dear Leader and his minions. 

(Image by Lisa Benson)

Even liberal comedian-commentator Jon Stewart has noticed that Obama has claimed he's learned about all these scandals--as far back as Fast & Furious--the same way everyone else has--by hearing about it in the news.

(Image by Michael Ramirez)

We now know where the buck stops in the Obashultz Administration...

(Image by Gary Varvel)

But after today's grilling by Congress yesterday, we learned that some of Our Dear Leaders minions knew of this targeting back in June 2012. 

With all these scandals, the question remains:  Did Obama know anything about them? 

As Carol Platt Liebau concluded, if he did, then he's a liar; but if he truly didn't know what's been going on around him, then he's an idiot. 

Media Whores

(Image by Jerry Holbert)

Despite the hue & cry over the back-to-back scandals, most of us like-minded folks are pessimistic about anyone being held accountable for this administration's shenanigans. 

Why?

Because the media has been protecting Our Dear Leader ever since he was a freshman senator on the campaign trail--and are still doing so.

(Image by Lisa Benson)

Even now, some of the liberal critics, like Joe Klein are re-tempering their words. 

Mark Steyn rolled-in on these court eunuchs.

One of my friends explained this continued support this way:

Obama has done more in a week to alienate the press than I thought was humanly possible. I suppose battered wife syndrome will kick in and they'll continue to protect him, though.

They'll continue to ignore the stench...

(Image by Glenn Foden)

Scandals in the Obixon Administration

(Image by Glenn McCoy)

While I've been busy moving into my new home, Our Dear Leader has been busy fending off a series of scandals that erupted this past week.

First, Our Dear Leader just can't seem to shake off Benghazigate like he did Fast & Furious.  Especially after the damning testimony of the whistleblowers.  Something Mark Steyn calls The Benghazi Lie.  VDH said this was part of the Dear Leader's Regime of Terrorism as Therapy.  Meanwhile, Justice Goes Unserved.

Then it came to light that the IRS was targeting conservative groups.  Not only have IRS officials been implicated, but it appears that Senate Democrats pushed the idea. 

But the IRS wasn't the only government agency playing favorites.  The EPA got in on the act too. 

Finally, (as of four days ago), we learned the Justice Department secretly obtained a couple months worth of phone records from AP.

(Image by Beeler)

Powerline gave a good run-down of all this in a Mid-Week in Pictures, the IRS Scandal Edition.  Be sure to watch the Jon Stewart segment.  Despite Stewart's humor, most commentators, even some liberal ones, feel the IRS scandal is the worst one--because sooner or later, anyone coulb be targeted.

Diplomad rolled in with his Scandal Palooza post. 

Despite all the hubbub, most of us like-minded folks will be very surprised if "Obixon" goes out like the original...

(Image by Bob Gorrell)