Fred Fry International: 2008

Wednesday, December 31

It's the ones who can't write who....

It's the ones who can't write who often are the most dangerous.

Take the photo of this idiot who we can only guess is so angry that he spells Jews "JUICE". This in itself is pretty amusing and probably a good example of the level of intelligence of the group of protesters that he is a part of.

Idiot Protester: "DEATH TO ALL JUICE"

Unfortunately, this is probably the face of a person who is one step away from joining jihad against Israel, the US and anybody. After all, this is not a simple protester, but a protester who is calling for the death of a whole group of humans. Of course, now the useful idiots of the left (such as the ACLU) will defend this jerk and whatever actions he might do in the future noting that it was probably our mocking of his stupidity on the internet that pushed him to violent jihad.... Not for anything but I bet that this guy has bigger problems than worrying about what is going on in the Middle East.

Just saying.

What a way to end 2008. Ignorance is still all around us, and it is dangerous.
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Tuesday, December 30

Pirate Attack Photos - M/V BISCAGLIA

The M/V BISCAGLIA was taken over by pirates last month. Of interest was that the ship had onboard a three-man security team that once the ship was lost jumped overboard on the chance that they would be picked up by a nearby helicopter.

Here are a couple photos that were taken by another helicopter that had initially come to the aid of the ship but it was all over by the time they got there, other than the fate of the unsecured security team.

The photos were found on the UK's Mirror site under the story on the event: "Heroic Brit trio take on Somali pirates before escaping into sea" They are reposted here in the interest of seafarer safety.

- MV Bisaglia fires water cannon to try and repel invaders -
Can you see the LRAD in the photo above? I can't.

- Pirates hold crew at gunpoint - Mike & Rocky watch from above -
There appears to be a broken window in the photo above.

- The pirates do not know the ex-soldiers are still free on the deck above -

- Gun-toting pirates force the crew inside the bridge -
There appears to be a shattered bridge window in the photo above.

- Ex-British soldiers up on the deck preparing to jump in the sea -

Go read the story for a summary of the event as provided by the head of the security company.

Keep in mind that they were not able to defend the ship with firearms. They had an LRAD device (See gCaptain's summary: LRAD - Video Of An Amazing Anti-Piracy Device) but according to the articles the pirates were not deterred at all by it.

“We thought it would make the pirates back off, but they just laughed. It was a total waste of time.” - Mirror, UK

I wonder about that since according to the video linked above, the device is currently in use in Iraq. I would think that any problems such as this would have shown up by now. Didn't they test this thing on themselves before boarding this ship? I would think it would be a good idea to understand what they are doing to the people they aim the thing at, at least at a lower setting. (The highest settings reportedly can cause permanent injury.) Keep in mind that this device was claimed to have ward off the pirate attack against the cruiseship SEABORNE SPIRIT. (See more video here: LRAD: Long Range Acoustic Device)

Update: 12/31/08

One last thing. Take a look at the top photo. All that water being sprayed over the side looks nice, but all those running hoses surely kept the water pressure on each low. The point of using a fire hose against pirates is that the high pressure of the water stream is something that you can't advance against. As it is a fire hose under full pressure should have three people manning it in order to safely control it. The spray from the hoses above does not seem to have enough pressure to do the job. (Now it could be that the fire pump is not running at full pressure at the time the photo was taken.)

Cross posted on gCaptain here.

Link:
Heroic Brit trio take on Somali pirates before escaping into sea - Mirror, UK

Previous:
Pirate Attack Photos - ZHENHUA 4
Pirate Attack Photos - M/V KAPITAN MASLOV
On Defending Unarmed Merchant Ships Against Pirates

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Expensive Ties - Being less Poor

I came across this interesting act of 'revenge' story the week before Christmas:

A paralegal, recently laid off, wanted to get back at the "establishment" that he felt was to blame for his lost job. So when he craved an expensive new tie, he went out and stole one.

The story, relayed by psychiatrist Timothy Fong at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital, is an example of the rash behaviors exhibited by more Americans as a recession undermines a lifestyle built on spending. - CNBC

This person's basic problem here is not that he is no longer able to afford expensive ties but that he was buying expensive ties in the first place. He probably was never able to really afford it, instead ignorantly living beyond his needs, powered by debt.

Sure, I guess it is nice to be noticed that you're wearing a $1,000+ suit and tie. I don't wear expensive clothing so I do not get the fashion recognition. But by not worrying too much about expensive fashion it won't be something that I'll miss if I run into financial difficulty.

There is also no mention in the article on how this guy was spending / saving his earnings when he had a job, other than the general mention: 'recession undermines a lifestyle built on spending'. So perhaps this guy was spending a little too much on his attire and now that he can't is upset that he can't continue the non-stop fashion-show that he was giving his now former co-workers and the attention it earned him.

I would think that a paralegal position is one that does not need an expensive suit and tie to begin with. Anyway, what guy would notice unless it was a well-recognized brand, if they could even tell what brand it was without the wearer having to tell everyone what it was and how much he paid for it.

And not for anything, but what kind of ass clown would this guy look like getting arrested for doing something so stupid as stealing a trivial object. Sounds to me like the company he was working for made the right decision to fire this guy. After all, they are not going to get rid of their best and brightest first!

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Total BS: "The Internet Could have Stopped Hitler"

Here is a recent story about how the internet could have possibly stopped Hitler had it been around in the 1930's/1940's:

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - The spread of information on the Internet has given the world a new tool to forestall conflicts, Nobel literature prize winner Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio said Sunday.

In his Nobel lecture to the Swedish Academy, the 68-year-old Frenchman said an earlier introduction of information technology could even have prevented World War II.

"Who knows, if the Internet had existed at the time, perhaps Hitler's criminal plot would not have succeeded — ridicule might have prevented it from ever seeing the light of day," he said. - Daily News

What a load of crap. If there is a shred of truth to this theory, then why is it that the internet has failed to stop:

- Iran's nuclear program and support of terrorists.
- North Korea's communist government
- Zimbabwe's criminal government
- Cuba's communist government
- Genocide happening a couple of times/places in Africa
- Russia's aggressive actions in Europe
- Saddam's Iraq

Not only that, but it seems that the internet has kept alive lies that have been disproved over and over, such as those surrounding the 9/11 attacks, those suggesting that Saddam had no WMD, and so on. The internet has also failed to overcome mainstream media's decision to ignore certain news items, such as unflattering news about President-elect Obama whether true or not. Only these day you can find such news if you bother to go and look for it. That at least is a good start.

Adding to the limited benefits of the internet to stop wars, oppressive countries filter their citizen's access to the internet. Worse, these regimes can use the internet as one more way to spread their propaganda. When all else fails, they can simply do a denial of service attack, as Russia did against Estonia and Georgia in recent years. During the Soviet Soldier statue conflict in Estonia, it was impossible to get access to any Embassy of Estonia website as they were all under a denial of service attack.

(Washington, DC)

It has also failed to stop misguided or plain simply bad/disingenuous information such as truly bad misinformation on firearms and the completely useless 'assault weapon' ban that there is now talk of reinstating, even though there is no 'assault weapon' crime to warrant a new 'ban' and especially considering that the weapons will remain available in slightly different form in order to continue to be sold under a ban. It is just liberal feel-good legislation.

It is not the internet that stops bad things from happening. It is people of honor and will.

Link:

Could the Internet have stopped Hitler? French novelist Le Clezio says yes - NY Daily News

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Monday, December 29

Maritime Monday 142 Posted at gCaptain

This week's edition of Maritime Monday has been posted at gCaptain.

Maritime Monday 142

You can find last week’s edition here.

You can find Maritime Monday 92 here. (Published 7 January 2008).

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MV CALA PALMA

A Very Impressive move but not even newsworthy these days

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Tuesday, December 23

New York State Making It Easier To Steal My Handguns

I live in Virginia and I own two handguns.

I am now on Long Island in New York. Since it is illegal for me to bring my handguns up here without a permit and with New York limiting handgun permits to only New York State residents, this leaves me with no other good option other than to leave my handguns at home.

Now I have them locked in a safe, with one loaded just in case thieves force me to open it under duress upon my return or more likely in the hope that if someone steals the safe that they might just shoot themselves in celebration of their discovery.

I find this current situation unacceptable. I would prefer to keep the weapons under my direct supervision and in this case to be able to bring them up here with me so that they are kept in a house that is occupied over the holidays instead of being left in an empty home over the holidays where criminals may target my apartment knowing that many people are away at this time of the year.

Oddly enough, New York complains that the State of Virginia is a major source of guns that eventually end up being used in crimes in New York. Funny how the victim is actively contributing to the problem.

My driver's license is valid in both states. The same should go for my conceal carry permit or at least my right to own a handgun. In the current situation New York State discriminates against non-residents. I think that is wrong and even possibly illegal. Not only that, this is stupid. I am no more dangerous than I am in Virginia and Virginia has decided that I am not a threat. Anyway, it's not like New York is doing anything about those who are threats. After all, when was the last time any murderers were executed in NY?

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Monday, December 22

Maritime Monday 141 Posted at gCaptain

This week's edition of Maritime Monday has been posted at gCaptain.

Maritime Monday 141

You can find last week’s edition here.

You can find Maritime Monday 91 here. (Published 31 December 2007).

(STR. HERBERT C. JACKSON)

(M/V JAMES R. BARKER)

M/V James R. Barker was the first 1000-foot class vessel constructed entirely on the Great Lakes, where she was built by American Ship Building Company at Lorain, Ohio. Her self-unloading system includes three cargo hold belts and a 250-foot boom, and is capable of discharging a cargo in about eight hours. The James R. Barker is named for Interlake's President and Chairman of the Board. The ship has always been part of the Interlake Steamship fleet. - Link

(STR. JOHN SHERWIN)

The Steamer John Sherwin is one of the last straight deck (non-self-unloading) bulk cargo vessels on the Great Lakes. Named for a former chairman of Pickands Mather & Co., she was built in 1958 by American Ship Building Company, Toledo, Ohio, and has always been in the Interlake Steamship fleet. In 1973, she was lengthened by 96 feet at Fraser Shipyards, Superior, Wisconsin. The Sherwin has been in long-term layup at Superior since November 1981. - Link

Previous Editions:
As linked below or click on the label ‘MaritimeMonday’:

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Sunday, December 21

Celebrate Christmas - Wear a Santa / Elf Hat!

So its the week before Christmas and I have been wearing a Santa hat around town and even to work. In general it seems to put a smile on people's faces and I seem to get more Merry Christmas's than 'Happy Holiday's' from people in the shops. Not only that, it puts a smile on my face too.

Here is a photo of one example below. On the way home from work Friday I picked up a pizza. I was waiting, wondering why the clerk didn't ask for my name when I placed the order. I got my answer when I got my pie as he had entered 'Santa's Brother' for my name.

So try it. You just might like it.

"Santa's Brother"
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Christmas Tree 2008

Here is a great picture of our tree for this year.

Like last year, we will be spending Christmas in New York. We are driving up on Monday and going to the Central Park Zoo and Times Square on Tuesday. It should all be fun! Hope you all have fun as well!

Previous:
Merry Christmas 2007!
The Christmas Tree is up! (2006)
Easy Solution to Seattle's 'Holiday Tree' Complaints - 9 Dec 06

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Friday, December 19

Pirate Attack Photos - ZHENHUA 4

Here are more pirate attack photos. Best is that they use Molotov Cocktails as part of their defense strategy as suggested in my post "On Defending Unarmed Merchant Ships Against Pirates" (Are they drinking on board? Looks like the company owes them a couple rounds at the next port, AND A BIG FAT BONUS!)

Photos found via the UK's Mail Online's story "Pictured: Desperate Chinese sailors fight off Somali pirates with beer bottles and Molotov cocktails" and reproduced here for the benefit of seafarers:

- "Standby to repel boarders: A Chinese sailor lights a Molotov cocktail before throwing it overboard at Somali pirates" -

- "Peeking over to see the damage inflicted on the pirates, a Chinese sailor and his shipmates prepare more missiles to throw at the bandits" -

- "By now the pirates have boarded the cargo ship and take aim at the sailors with a machine gun and rocket launcher" -

- "This picture released by the International Maritime Bureau's piracy centre shows one of the Somali boats (circled in red) coming up behind the Chinese cargo ship" -

- "Four of the nine pirates wander about the deck of the Chinese cargo ship. To prevent the vessel falling into their hands, the sailors had locked themselves in their accommodation area" -

- Having been blasted with gunfire from two helicopters, the Somali bandits climb back aboard their speedboats and flee to their hideout -

Seems that they did a great job fighting off the pirates, especially given that they had boarded the ship. One item that can be improved on is better protection for the seafarers who are fighting back, such as better armor in the areas they are using as defensive positions. As seen in my previous pirate photo post "Pirate Attack Photos - M/V KAPITAN MASLOV" RPGs can go right through soft ship steel.

Great job. Lets see more of this.

Cross-posted at gCaptain.
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