Monday, August 11, 2008

Azerbaijan or Ukraine Next Russian Target

Looking at the political landscape in the west it should be perfectly clear to Prime Minister Putin that neither NATO or the United States will come to the aid of Georgia. Putin has always been the darling of the Left Wing Liberals of the western world. In their eyes he and Ahmadinejad are the only leaders that have stood up to President Bush. The world understands Putin is the real power in Russia and whatever Putin says becomes law. The Liberals of the West hate President Bush so much that they are siding with Putin in Russia's invasion of Georgia.

Here are some of the Liberal sites supporting Putin:

The Populist Party

Global Research

Prison Planet

The Guardian

These are only a few, there are many more. After reading these articles it is clear the left is willing to see Georgia fall and return to Russia's area of influence. What they don't understand is Georgia is nothing more than a test of NATO and the first stepping stone to an eventual linkup with Iran. Russia and Putin will not stop until they regain control of the former Republics of the old Soviet Union. After some of these countries announced their desire to be part of the European Union and eventually NATO, Russia made it clear they would not allow this to happen.

The only question that remains is who is next, Ukraine or Azerbaijan? The Ukraine made a mistake and announced they will support Georgia and Azerbaijan announced they would like to become full members of NATO. Will Russia turn its attention to Ukraine first, since the Russian fleet is based in the only deep water port off of Ukraine? Or, will Russia turn its attention to Azerbaijan under the pretext they are protecting Armenia?

It is my guess Putin will direct his attention on Azerbaijan. After seeing Georgia fall without NATO coming to their aid, Ukraine will be reluctant to take on Russia. Azerbaijan being smaller than Ukraine and having Iran next door will be more willing to capitulate to Russian aggression. Once the overland link between Russia and Iran has been established Russia will flex its muscle back toward Latvia, Belarus and Ukraine. It is clear to Putin and Ahmadinejad NATO is weak and will not stand in their way. They are also betting the hatred and mistrust for President Bush is so great that the American Congress will not allow United States intervention.

They are assuming 2009 will see a President Obama administration in the White House and diplomatic negotiations will be the only response an Obama administration will attempt.




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Sunday, August 10, 2008

Putin Ahmadinejad Another Hitler Mussolini

In a fictional book I wrote in 2006 and was published in early 2007, I predicted Vladimir Putin would retain control of Russia by stepping down as President and becoming Prime Minister. I also predicted he would dismantle the government and eventually combine the office of President and Prime minister. I continued in the book to predict he would, through military aggression, resurrect the old Soviet Union. Russia's recent invasion of the tiny country of Georgia supports my prediction that Putin will continue in his efforts and nobody will stop him.

Much of what Putin is doing comes straight out of the Hitler era. In order to gain control of Germany Hitler first gained control of the German people by intimidation and economical stability after the Great Depression. After the death of President Hindenburg, Hitler gained control by combining the office of the Chancellor and the office of the President. Hitler aligned himself with Mussolini and sent the Italians loose to distract the rest of the world while Hitler began his conquest of neighboring countries.

Much of what Putin is doing has a great deal of similarity to the Hitler/Mussolini era. As President Putin dissolved the Russian government. He basically installed the current President through a rigged voting system and clamping down on any opposition. He has aligned himself with Ahmadinejad, controls the Russian President, and started his conquest of former Soviet Union provinces. His attack on Georgia was not the first act of aggression. It began with Chechnya and with all eyes on Iran (Ahmadinejad), Putin has escalated the crackdown on all former provinces of the Soviet Union by invading Georgia.

Like Hitler used Mussolini, Putin is using Ahmadinejad to distract the world. He stated his goal in a 2007 article in The Guardian. "
Vladimir Putin announced ambitious plans to revive Russia's military power and restore its role as the world's leading producer of military aircraft yesterday."

I believe this was only a prelude to his desire to resurrect the Soviet Union to its original design of global power by any means, including military domination. Unlike Hitler, Putin is not a madman and can be stopped before his global desires overtake his common sense. If the European countries unite with the United States and send a strong message to Putin that expansionism of Russia into neighboring countries will not be tolerated, the dangers of an all out war within the next four years can be avoided. If we stand by as we did during the Hitler/Mussolini era and do nothing, the next President will have to make one of two decisions. Will we capitulate to Putin and Ahmadinejad or risk a World War?

For too long we have focussed all of our attention on Ahmadinejad and overlooked Putin. The reality is both are joined at the hip. One is using the other as a distraction to gain what each desire separately. Ahmadinejad seeks the destruction of Israel and control of all of the Middle East, while Putin is intent on rebuilding the Soviet Union and gain control of Europe. A weak or timid United States President in 2009 may give both exactly what they want.



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Friday, August 8, 2008

Border Patrol, Protecting America

For too long some Americans have looked down on the Border Patrol as if they are nothing more than hired security guards. Some think the only purpose agents serve is to inconvenience the traveling public. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The individuals serving in the Border Patrol are Federal Agents with a very clear mission. They are there to stop terrorist from entering our country, stop drug weapons and human smuggling, and preserve the sovereignty of our border.

After the latest incursion of the Mexican military and their blatant act of disrespect for the sovereignty of the border, it is clear our Border Patrol Agents are standing alone. Another message has been sent to the drug cartels, Mexican Military, and the Mexican criminal enterprise at large. The message is, America is weak and our Border Patrol is for show and show only. In January 2007 our National Guard were attacked on US soil by armed individuals from Mexico and forced to flee their position. Nothing was ever done about the incursion and the matter was quickly forgotten by our government, the media, and the general public. Now we have another incursion by the Mexican Military but this time they have the nerve to hold a Federal Border Patrol Agent at gun point, threatening to shoot the agent on US soil.

Like some other media outlets the Arizona Republic is downplaying the "incident." Reporting the events the paper says:

"The soldiers held their weapons on the agent for several minutes until he identified himself in Spanish, whereupon they lowered their guns and walked back across a gap in the fence, [Border Patrol spokesman] Scioli said."

Border Patrol Agents at the scene dispute this version of what really happened. According to other agents that were there, the agent being held called for backup and it wasn't until backup arrived that the four Mexican soldiers lowered their weapons and returned through the fence to Mexico. Yes, they actually crossed through an opening in the fence separating the US from Mexico.

According to the Republic:

"In Washington, D.C., State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said the encounter "stemmed from a momentary misunderstanding as to the exact location of the U.S.-Mexican border."

In reality they crossed through an opening in the fence commonly used by smugglers and illegals.

According to the Washington Times:

"the soldiers returned to Mexico without incident when backup agents responded to assist."

According to U.S. law enforcement authorities current and former Mexican military personnel have been hired to protect drug and migrant smugglers. The times quotes Border Patrol Union sources:

"Unfortunately, this sort of behavior by Mexican military personnel has been going on for years," union Local 2544 of the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) said on its Web page. "They are never held accountable, and the United States government will undoubtedly brush this off as another case of 'Oh well, they didn't know they were in the United States."

"It is fortunate that this incident didn't end in a very ugly gunfight," NBPC continued.

The Times points out:

"Since 1996, there have been more than 200 confirmed incursions by the Mexican military into the United States."

Will it take our own agents getting killed before action against this blatant act of war is taken seriously? Or maybe it will not be until one of our border towns or cities is taken over by the Mexican Military, that our government will act?

What do you think would have happened if the Border Patrol Agents had opened fire on the Mexicans and arrested them for illegally crossing the border? Would our government or the media have supported the action of our agents? Probably not.

If you don't think our agents face a clear and present danger form Mexico, consider the following as reported by the Times:

cThe incident occurred in the same area where heavily armed Mexican soldiers riding in a Humvee shot at a Border Patrol agent in 2002. A .50-caliber bullet ripped through the agent's rear window as he sped away.

Mexican officials denied at the time that the shooters were Mexican soldiers, saying they were criminals using military uniforms. It is a position they steadfastly have maintained.

But the agent who reported encountering the gunfire was certain he saw soldiers, said Mr. Tuffly. He said at the time that the agent was able to identify their attire "down to a T, and it matched exactly what they [Mexican soldiers] wear."

That purported incursion began after a Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation police ranger reported being chased by men in a Humvee.

cA year ago, U.S. law enforcement authorities were confronted by gunfire from automatic weapons as they chased and caught a drug-smuggling suspect in Texas trying to flee back into Mexico, the Hudspeth County (Texas) Sheriff's Office said.

cIn November 2007, the Border Patrol chased a dump truck full of marijuana in the same area when it also got stuck in the river while trying to return to Mexico. While agents sought to unload 3 tons of marijuana, the driver - who had fled - returned with a heavily armed group of men wearing Mexican military uniforms and carrying military-style weapons.

The soldiers backed the agents away and bulldozed the truck back into Mexico.

Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez Jr. of Zapata County, Texas said three of his deputies in 2006 spotted 25 men dressed in military uniforms in the U.S. during a late-night patrol. He said the men marched two abreast and carried duffel bags and automatic weapons, and that his "outmanned and outgunned deputies" were forced to retreat.

It is time Sen Obama and his left wing party begins to understand we are facing a serious threat from not only terrorist but from a host of countries that consider America weak and divided. Today Russia has invaded Georgia, confident that America will not interfere with their act of war against this small country. Their timing for this act coincides with the President's visit to China for the opening of the Olympic games and the division of our country during this election year.

It is clear to me, President Bush should immediately return to the United States and call Congress back into session. He should hold a meeting with both candidates and leaders from both the House and Senate to discuss our immediate need to become self reliant on our own natural resources (oil). They should display to the world that America will no longer stand divided when our National interest is being threatened, albeit attacks along our borders or attacks on our friends and allies. It is time we as Americans support all of the people that work everyday to protect us, this includes our Military and Federal Law Enforcement Agents.



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Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Mr. Obama: American Voters Are Not Children



News flash to Sen. Obama, American voters are not children. We do not need to be reminded that keeping our tires inflated will save on gas. To think that simply inflating our tires will save us from high gas prices is ludicrous. To think if every driver would check and properly inflate our tires every time we drive our cars would solve our dependence on foreign oil is childish in itself.

American voters have it right, drill at home and get off foreign oil. Relax the bureaucracy surrounding oil and refineries. Stop all of the frivolous lawsuits and let the oil companies drill for oil and recover the oil from shale. Make it easier for companies to expand and build new refineries.

Obama, call on the Speaker and Majority Leaders to call both houses back in session and solve the problem by allowing a vote to expand new drilling. Blaming the shortage of oil and high gas prices on the American consumers and automobiles is a bogus argument. As I have said before, all of the products we use in America must be transported by air, land, or sea. The vast majority of our transportation needs is accomplished with diesel fuel. Nothing we do in the next 30-50 years will change this fact. Trucks, trains, or heavy construction vehicles cannot be replaced with new unproven technology at the drop of a hat. The government (taxpayer) or private business cannot afford to switch all their equipment from diesel to electric or alternative fuels hoping they will be efficient and as productive as their current equipment. Transportation in America is something you cannot gamble with.

America is not Europe. Little electric scooters and cars may be fine for some parts of Europe but they will be a dismal failure in America. Normal Americans have too far to commute to be able to depend on this type of technology. It will be decades before private business like service stations will be able to provide all of the different alternative fuels that are being presented as an alternative to gas. Putting in new and safe equipment to store these fuels are both time consuming and expensive. Each new alternative fuel requires its own storage system and its own means of distributing it from its storage tank to the vehicle. With this in mind it should be obvious that we will not see a change in our driving needs anytime soon.

In the mean time we must depend on low cost fuel, if we are to survive as a world power. The American voter is not the problem, politicians and the 'save the planet crowd' have forced us to become dependent on the goodwill of foreign countries for far too long. It is time we did what should have been done 30 years ago, become a self sufficient country that relies on no one except ourselves. Call back both Houses and do what 75% of Americans are demanding, VOTE ON USING OUR OWN OIL.


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Monday, August 4, 2008

Vectrix Electric Scooter Another Failure?




With the high cost of gas I have spent the past month looking into alternative transportation. With the Vectrix Electric Scooter getting so much attention locally and nationally I have read and talked to local dealers, trying to determine if they are really worth the investment. For a variety of reasons I have decided the Vectrix Maxi is not worth the price, at least not now.

In my state they are considered a motorcycle and must be treated as such. The same laws that apply to all motorcycle riders in the state i.e. motorcycle endorsement, license and registration, insurance, etc. applies to scooters. This is a good thing, since these vehicles are designed for use in normal traffic and on public roads. As sales for scooters have increased a problem with driver's license endorsement has come to light. The scooters by their very nature and size are far more maneuverable during a road test than larger less maneuverable motorcycles. This makes receiving a motorcycle endorsement easier. People that have no experience with motorcycles sometimes believe, since they have the endorsement, they can simply jump on a larger Harley, Honda, or some other motorcycle and it will be the same experience. Most find out there is a world of difference.

You will find on other sites glowing reviews for the electric scooters but I have found there is more hope and marketing hype than there is truth. Sites like boston.com, nytimes.com, and the Office of the Mayor Providence, RI are not being completely honest. This is also true of the local dealers I have spoken to in my state. It seems they are more interested in making a sale than full disclosure of the capabilities the Victrix Maxi. There are plenty of other misleading ads currently running on youtube.

Sales have risen in 2008 but in 2007 out of
2,002 vehicles built only 123 sold to actual customers. Reference autobloggreen.

Checking out the official website of Vectrix I discovered the truth may not be the same as all the hype I have read and been told by the dealer. One local dealer told me you could achieve 50 miles on a single charge at 62 miles per hour. He said the hills and mountainous terrain would have no effect on the range or speed. He also lead me to believe the warranty on the battery was 10 years. Here are the facts from Vectrix:

Constant SpeedRange
25 mph65 miles
35 mph54 miles
40 mph48 miles
45 mph44 miles
50 mph36 miles
60 mph20 miles

Notice that for every 10 mph increase, your range decreases an average of 11 miles before the battery is depleted.

In the Q and A section the following info came out concerning range:

Q: Does Acceleration Affect Range?

A:

Acceleration is the rate which you are attempting to increase the speed of your Maxi-Scooter. The greater the acceleration the faster you are depleting the energy in the battery pack. The harder and more frequently you accelerate the more adversely you will affect the range of your Maxi-Scooter. Being "first off the line" means you will also be the first to drain your energy supply.
Hard Acceleration = Reduced Range

Q: Does Weight Affect Range?

A:

The Vectrix Maxi-Scooter at approximately 500 lbs plus a 180 lb driver equates to a gross vehicle weight of 680 lbs. If you add 50 pounds of cargo the total weight you are attempting to move is 730 pounds or 7.3% increase in weight. If then you add a 175 pound passenger the total weight is 905 lbs or a total weight increase of 33%! The more mass you are pushing/lifting the more energy it takes to accomplish the mission. Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your Maxi-Scooter since it will impact your range.
Added Weight = Reduced Range

Q: Why Do I Get Less Range at Higher Speeds?

A:

It takes more energy to push a Maxi-Scooter faster because you encounter aerodynamic resistance. The faster you attempt to travel the more important this factor becomes. Also it is a fundamental characteristic of battery energy storage systems that the amount of energy you are able to extract from the battery is inversely proportional to the rate at which you drawing out the energy. If a battery pack is rated for 30 Ah if you draw 10 amperes of current you will deliver more energy that if you are drawing 100 amperes of current. Bottom line is that the more conservative you drive the further you will travel on single charge.
Faster Speed = Reduced Range

Factor in all of these variables and the distance I could travel would be extremely limited in my area. Another reason I have my doubts about Vectrix or any other electric scooter came from reading some of the posts of people that own Maxi Scooters, most are not good. Anyone interested should go to: V is for Voltage Forum.

It is hard to tell if this type of vehicle will last with the general publics interest or not. At a cost of $11,000 one thing is for certain, sales will not pick up in this area for years to come. These type of vehicles may be fine in Paris, Rome, or Berlin but I don't see a future for them in America.

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Saturday, August 2, 2008

Credit Card Help plus Money Saving Ideas: How we saved gas money on our vacation

Credit Card Help plus Money Saving Ideas: How we saved gas money on our vacation

If you are interested in saving a little money on gas this summer, Terry has a great blog with links that identify gas prices around the country. If you are planning on making a trip or just want to check the price in your area the map is great.

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