largest Flying Billboard

I am awaiting the release of "The Hobbit" on December 14th, I enjoyed "the Rings" trilogy immensely and the same people that worked "rings" are doing this movie.  I read J.R.R. Tolkien when I was in the 6th grade, my Dad had gotten me the "hobbit" and the Rings Trilogy.  It opened a new world for me that I still enjoy today.  I read "Fantasy" books and played A.D&D and other games.  We even played this in the field and when we were deployed.  Especially when we were waiting to return to the world after the end of hostilities.  it kept our minds occupied.  I havn't played it in many years but I still like the genre. 

   I got this stuff off "Aviation Week"

Air New Zealand is getting some major mileage – literally – from what is believed to be the largest-ever graphic to be applied to an aircraft. The airline on Nov. 23 unveiled a Boeing 777-300ER with a full-length image advertising the soon-to-be-released movie adaptation of Tolkien classic The Hobbit. The 777 has already flown on Air NZ’s Auckland-Los Angeles-London route, and will be returning with cast members who will be attending the world premiere of The Hobbit in Wellington on Nov. 28. The airline has promised that the flying billboard will “make a brief spectacular appearance” at the red-carpet event. (Photo from Air New Zealand)

The graphic was applied at Air New Zealand’s Technical Operations base in Auckland. It took six days to complete the 830-square-meter image. Air New Zealand says it will launch a second flying billboard next year using another of its long haul aircraft, marking the planned release of the second movie in the Hobbit trilogy. Below is a time-lapse video showing the application process on the first aircraft, and the launch event (video from Air New Zealand).

Like the earlier Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Hobbit movies are expected to boost tourism to New Zealand. The films were shot in the country, and feature some of its most picturesque landscape. Air New Zealand is taking further advantage of the marketing tie-in by using a Hobbit-themed safety briefing video on its flights. It was filmed by the Academy Award-winning Weta Workshop, which was heavily involved in both the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings films. The safety briefing video featured cast The Hobbit as well as its own crew members. The online version of the safety briefing video has received more than 10 million hits since its Nov. 1 release. The briefing can be viewed below.

This is a safety video, I found it interesting, As a person that works on 777 and other airplanes, I find this really creative.

Gun Store owner bans Obama Voters Part Deux

Remember my story last week about the Arizona Gun Store owner who banned Obama Voters, the story is here if y'all need to refresh your memory.    Well there is more to the story:

    

    

Last week, the owner of an Arizona gun shop made national headlines after it was reported that he had posted a sign and taken out a full page ad in a local newspaper that banned Obama supporters from entering his store.  One week later, Cope Reynolds is cashing in on the attention.
Mr. Reynolds, owner of Southwest Shooting Authority says “business is booming” after his sign and newspaper ad caught the attention of various media outlets.  The sign read: “If you voted for Barack Obama, your business is not welcome at Southwest Shooting Authority. You have proven you’re not responsible enough to own a firearm.”
Reynolds says he has been inundated with hundreds of calls and emails from media types and supporters.  When asked about business, he replied, “I’ve been busier than a cat covering up poop on a marble floor.”
The Arizona Republic spoke with Mr. Reynolds about his sign and the effect it’s had on his business:
“People are saying that I’ve alienated half of our customers,” Reynolds said, laughing. “No, I haven’t. I haven't alienated any of my customers, because the people who voted for Obama don’t buy guns here. They don't come here at all. I haven’t alienated. I’ve improved things. I have packages sitting on my desk to be shipped to places like Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Idaho, Nevada and California.”
Talking Points Memo asked Mr. Reynolds how he will prevent Obama supporters from entering the store and purchasing merchandise.  He said he will not be conducting a litmus test to determine the customer’s political views but that he is considering giving discounts to registered Republicans and Libertarians.
Seventy-Five percent of the calls he is getting are positive, Reynolds says.  “You can always tell the ones that are not -- 9 out of 10 of them start out with vile and nasty language. And I guess they don’t have the intelligence to carry on a conversation like an adult.”  Reynolds also revealed that he has been receiving death threats saying, “Just comes with the territory I guess.”
Mr. Reynolds admits that there haven’t been any serious attempts by the Obama administration to change America’s gun laws, but he suspects that is coming now that the president has been reelected.

The new political reality

This about sums it up.  The average American don't do what is best for the country, they vote in their own best interest.  If this continues we as a nation will not survive.  This is the sum of several generations of indoctrination in the public schools.  Our forefathers believed in the innate goodness of their nation and would sacrifice all to save her.   Now we have people picking over the carcass of a once great nation looking for "free stuff".  How the mighty have fallen.

Monday Music

"every Breath You Take" by the Police

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For the album, see Every Breath You Take: The Singles.

"Every Breath You Take"
Single by The Police
from the album Synchronicity
B-side	"Murder by Numbers"
Released	20 May 1983
Format	Vinyl record (7")
Recorded	December 1982
Genre	New Wave, pop rock
Length	4:14
Label	A&M - AM 117
Writer(s)	Sting
Producer	The Police, Hugh Padgham
Certification	Gold (RIAA,[1] BPI)
The Police singles chronology
"Secret Journey" (1982) "Every Breath You Take" (1983) "Wrapped Around Your Finger" (1983) Audio sample Menu file info · help

"Every Breath You Take" is a song by The Police on the band's 1983 album Synchronicity, written by Sting and Andy Summers (but officially credited to Sting only). The single was one of the biggest hits of 1983, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for eight weeks and the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. It also topped the Billboard Top Tracks chart for nine weeks. Sting won "Song of the Year" and The Police won "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" at the Grammy Awards of 1984 for "Every Breath You Take". The song ranked No. 84 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and No. 25 on Billboard's Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs.^[2] This song is considered to be The Police's signature song, and in 2010 was estimated to generate between a quarter and a third of Sting's music publishing income.^[3]

Contents 1 Origins and songwriting 2 Music video 3 Track listing 4 Personnel 5 Charts and sales 5.1 Peak positions 5.2 Certifications 6 Legacy 7 Cover versions 8 Appearances in other media 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

Origins and songwriting

The lyrics are the words of a character of dubious nature, who is watching "every breath you take; every move you make".

I woke up in the middle of the night with that line in my head, sat down at the piano and had written it in half an hour. The tune itself is generic, an aggregate of hundreds of others, but the words are interesting. It sounds like a comforting love song. I didn't realize at the time how sinister it is. I think I was thinking of Big Brother, surveillance and control.

—Sting^[4]

Sting later said he was disconcerted by how many people think the song is more positive than it is. He insists it's about the obsession with a lost lover, the jealousy and surveillance that follows. "One couple told me 'Oh we love that song; it was the main song played at our wedding!' I thought, 'Well, good luck.'"^[5] When asked why he appears angry in the music video Sting told BBC Radio 2, "I think the song is very, very sinister and ugly and people have actually misinterpreted it as being a gentle, little love song."^[6]
According to the Back to Mono box-set book, "Every Breath You Take" is influenced by a Gene Pitney song titled "Every Breath I Take". The song's structure is a variation on the Classical rondo form with its AABACABA structure, a form rarely found in modern popular music.
The demo of the song was recorded in an eight track suite in North London's Utopia studios and featured Sting singing over a Hammond organ.^[7] While recording, Summers came up with a guitar part inspired by Béla Bartók that would later become a trademark lick, and played it straight through in one take. He was asked to put guitar onto a simple backing track of bass, drums, and a single vocal, with Sting offering no directive beyond "make it your own."^[8]
The recording process was fraught with difficulties as personal tensions between the band members, particularly Sting and Stewart Copeland, came to the fore.^[7] Producer Hugh Padgham claimed that by the time of the recording sessions, Sting and Copeland "hated each other", with verbal and physical fights in the studio common.^[7] The tensions almost led to the recording sessions being cancelled until a meeting involving the band and the group's manager, Miles Copeland, resulted in an agreement to continue.^[7] The drum track was largely created through separate overdubs of each percussive instrument, with the main backbeat created by simultaneously playing a snare and a gong drum.^[7] Keyboard parts were added from Roland guitar synthesisers, a Prophet-5 and an Oberheim synthesiser.^[7] The single-note piano in the middle eight was recommended by Padgham, inspired by similar work that he had done with the group XTC.^[7]

Music video

The song had a music video (directed by duo Godley & Creme) that was praised for its black-and-white cinematography. Both MTV (1999) and VH1 (2002) named it as one of the best music videos ever, placing it 16th and 33rd in their respective top 100 lists. Daniel Pearl won the first MTV cinematography award for his work on the video.^[9]

Track listing

7": A&M / AM 117

1. "Every Breath You Take" – 4:13
2. "Murder By Numbers" – 4:31

2x7": A&M / AM 117

1. "Every Breath You Take" – 4:13
2. "Murder By Numbers" – 4:31

1. "Man In A Suitcase" (live) – 2:18
2. "Truth Hits Everybody '83" -3:34

• rare 2x7" single

Personnel

• Sting – lead and backing vocals, electric bass
• Andy Summers – electric guitar, piano and keyboards
• Stewart Copeland – drums

Charts and sales

Peak positions

Chart (1983) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] 8 Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[11] 8 Canada (RPM)[12] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 3 Germany (Media Control AG)[14] 8 Ireland (IRMA)[15] 1 Italy (FIMI)[16] 3 New Zealand (RIANZ)[17] 6 Norway (VG-lista)[18] 2 South Africa (Springbok Radio Top 20)[19] 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 2 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 6 UK Singles Chart[22] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[23] 1 US Billboard Adult Contemporary[23] 5 US Billboard Dance/Disco Top 80[23] 26 US Billboard Top Tracks[23] 10

Certifications Country Date Certifications (sales thresholds) United Kingdom 1983 Silver[24] United States 1983 Gold[25]

Legacy

In 1999, "Every Breath You Take" was listed as one of the Top 100 Songs of the Century by BMI.^[26][27] In 2003, VH1 ranked the song the #2 greatest Break-up song of all time. And also as of 2003, Sting was still taking in an average of $2000 per day in royalties for the then 20-year-old song "Every Breath You Take."^[28]
In October 2007, Sting was awarded a Million-Air certificate for 9 million airplays of "Every Breath You Take" at the prestigious BMI Awards show in London, England, with only Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" a close second at 8 million air plays.^[29]

New edition to blogroll...

Hi Y'all,

   I added a new person to the blogroll, you can check out the site TSP.  The manure spreader(his words) is a retired veteran, and his blog is irreverant, funny, and the guy has a Starrett Tap and die scale on his website.   Please check him out.

Germans pushing a gun registry

This is a liberal wet dream, they haven't learned from the past.   I am a student of history and Hitler disarmed the German Populace in 1935 and at the same time stripped the German Jews of their rights with the Nuremberg Accords.    People forget the lessons of the past and repeat the same mistakes.   The Chicago Messiah and his ilk would love to do the same thing here.  Now we have the U.N. small arms treaty to contend with.  I have already decided to disobey any gun ban and registration demands from Moscow on the Potomac.  I do not see most of the police officers or the Military willing to go door to door and seize firearms.  When I see all these liberal pundits pontificate about "seizing guns" or something along that line, I ask  " you willing to lead the stack and knock down doors to do it.?"   They refuse and say " well that isn't their job."  I being snarky would reply " so you would demand this law but refuse to assist in carrying it out?  Have the regular cops do this and pay in blood for trying to seize privately owned firearms to support these diktats for some socialist wet dream that has never worked anywhere else?"  All gun control does is screw the law abiding citizens, not the criminals. 


From Here

Security

National German gun registry on target for launch

The German interior minister has said a countrywide database of all legal gun owners is set for launch on January 1. Hans-Peter Friedrich predicted a "considerable increase in security" as a result.

The German government plans to launch its complete registry of legal gun owners at the beginning of next year, two years ahead of a deadline set by the EU.
As with many German authorities, those responsible for weapons licensing and tracking operated on a local basis - with a total of 551 authorities around the country. Under new EU laws, all member countries are obliged to compile a centralized register.
There are an estimated 6 million licensed firearms in Germany.
Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich told reporters in Berlin that the database would provide "a very concrete contribution towards improving public safety." Thanks to the information, he said; police would be able to check "who owns which weapons legally, across the entire country," perhaps more quickly than in the past.

Friedrich also praised the relevant German agencies for setting up the system ahead of schedule.
"With this Germany is one of the first member states to fully comply with the demands of the EU guidelines," the interior minister said.
Instant info in critical cases
Jörg Ziercke, the head of Germany's federal criminal investigative agency, the BKA, said at Monday's presentation that particular gains would be made in investigations where time was of the essence. He told reporters that in the worst case scenario, it used to take three or four months to discover where a weapon came from, whereas soon it should be just a click away.
The January 1 version of the database is only the first, watered-down database documenting only the legal registration of firearms. The upgraded registry should eventually document historical information like weapon producers, dealers, importers and any previous private owners.
The GdP trade union representing many of the country's police officers welcomed the development, while saying that it was a little overdue.
"With this, an old demand from the GdP has been fulfilled. It took a long time, but the technical implementation was quite a challenge," the union's national chairman, Bernhard Witthaut, said. A sister police officers' union issued a similar statement, saying its officers had long lobbied for swifter access to information on firearms.

China Lands new fighter jet on Chinese carrier

This will cause problems for our navy, Our carrier striking force has served our interest and kept the peace for many years, now we have a resurgent China and they would love for us to leave the Pacific and let them spread their influence, threaten Taiwan, the Philippines, we have spilled blood together with them, and other nations up to and including Australia.

• 
  A carrier-borne J-15 fighter jet …
  
  

  

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has carried out its first successful landing of a fighter jet on its first aircraft carrier, state media said on Sunday, a symbolically significant development as Asian neighbors fret about the world's most populous country's military ambitions.

The home-built J-15 fighter jet took off from and landed on the Liaoning, a reconditioned Soviet-era vessel from Ukraine which only came into service in September this year.

China ushered in a new generation of leaders this month at the 18th Communist Party Congress in Beijing, with outgoing President Hu Jintao making a pointed reference to strengthening China's naval forces, protecting maritime interests and the need to "win local war".

China is embroiled in disputes with the Philippines and Vietnam over South China Sea islands believed to be surrounded by waters rich in natural gas. It has a similar dispute with Japan over islands in the East China Sea.

It has also warned the United States, with President Barack Obama's "pivot" to Asia, not to get involved.

"We should make active planning for the use of military forces in peacetime, expand and intensify military preparedness, and enhance the capability to accomplish a wide range of military tasks, the most important of which is to win local war in an information age," Hu said.

China has advertised its long-term military ambitions with shows of new hardware, including its first test flight of a stealth fighter jet in early 2011, an elite helicopter unit and the launch of the aircraft carrier.

China is boosting military spending by 11.2 percent this year, bringing official outlays on the People's Liberation Army to 670.3 billion yuan ($100 billion) for 2012, after a 12.7 percent increase last year and a near-unbroken string of double-digit rises across two decades.

Beijing's public budget is widely thought by foreign experts to undercount its real spending on military modernization, which has drawn repeated calls from the United States for China to share more about its intentions.

China's state-run Xinhua news portal said the J-15 - which can carry multi-type anti-ship, air-to-air, and air-to-ground missiles - is comparable to the Russian Su-33 jet and the U.S. F-18. It did not say when the landing on the carrier took place.

(Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Nick Macfie)

What to do if you lock your keys in your car.

This is a quick post since my work load is heavy on the weekend.,  I saw this and figured it is good information for everybody out there in the web and in the blogosphere.   I will add one to the list of things that they mention.   I have USAA insurance and I have a "tow" policy and roadside assistance.  I have used it several times and it is worth the $2 and change that is added to my bill.    I also have wondered if you lock your keys in your car and you call your spouse whom would have the spare key and fob if they use the fob and the digital signal is transmitted through the phone if it would unlock the car?    I have been wanting to experiment with that and haven't done it.

Compliments of Consumer Report.




 

Every driver dreads locking keys in a car, and the reality is, it does happen. What do you do when the keys are safe inside a locked car? Here are some options help avoid that situation and deal with it, should it happen to you.

Dial 911. Safety comes first, and if you don’t feel secure where you’re stranded, you should call 911 to get help on the way fast. In many cases, the police can unlock the car’s door. But if they can’t, they will probably call a tow truck, which will be on your tab, of course. But at least you’ll be safe.

Call for roadside assistance. Here’s when those annual auto-club fees really pay off. AAA, Allstate, and other organizations that provide roadside service will help you, though it could take a while for them to reach you. If you don’t subscribe to such a service, you might still be in luck. Most new cars come with roadside assistance during the basic warranty period. Your owner’s manual should have the details, but of course that’s locked in the car with the keys. The number to call might be posted on a window decal. If it isn’t, you can get the details by calling a dealership. To be prepared, you should store the number in your phone or write it down on paper and keep it in your wallet or purse. What if you don’t have a new car or you don’t belong to a service such as AAA? Ask about adding roadside assistance to your auto-insurance policy. Also, some major highways are patrolled by trucks offering emergency aid. Keep an eye out for one.

Call a tow truck. If you have no free options, most towing services provide lock-out service. Call 411 for services in your area. Or text the words “tow service” and your location to GOOGL (46645).

Get a temporary key. A dealer might be able to make you an inexpensive key that will open the doors (but not start your car) so that you can retrieve your permanent keys. You’ll probably need your vehicle identification number (visible through the lower edge of the driver’s-side windshield) and to prove that you own the car. Of course, you’ll also need a ride to the dealership.

Keep an extra key handy. Stash a spare key in your purse, your wallet, or a well-hidden spot on the car. You can buy a small magnetic box that can hold a key and be placed on a car’s underside. Or leave a spare with someone who could rescue you.

Buy a car with benefits. Some cars won’t lock with the power-lock button if the key is in the ignition and a door is open. Also, many vehicles from Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury have a door-mounted keypad that lets you tap in a code to unlock the door. If you drive a vehicle with a telematics system such as GM’s OnStar, Hyundai’s Blue Link, or Mercedes-Benz’s Mbrace, you can call a toll-free number to have your car remotely unlocked. Those systems also offer free apps that let smart-phone owners unlock the doors. Check automaker websites for compatible phones and specifics.

Keyless. If you have lost the key, things get more complicated. You’re going to need a locksmith, and while the ones we spoke with said they did do emergency road service, expect to pay about $200 and up for a replacement key. Keys for some higher-end models can cost several hundred dollars and can only be purchased and programmed through a dealer. And that means an expensive trip to the dealer on a flatbed

Lindsey Stone's Job is terminated for vulger act.

I understand the  issues of free speech, but the first amendment is in place to prevent the government from  interfering with the free speech of people.  It doesn't protect a person from foolishness or social ridicule.   Her job was terminated by her employer due to bad publicity that the company received by her boorish behavior especially while "on the clock".  When you are off duty so to speak, that is one thing, but most companies have a code of behavior that they expect their employees to adhere to while "on the clock" as to not bring undue bad publicity and possible loss of income.  

Lindsey Stone Fired for Vulgar Facebook Photo at Arlington National Cemetery

The Other McCain reported on this earlier, "Lindsey Stone of Plymouth, Mass., Has ‘Been Placed on Unpaid Leave Pending the Results of an Internal Investigation’."

But she's gone now, according to the Boston Herald, "Shamed Facebook poster loses her job":

Lindsey Stone — the Plymouth woman taking an online beating for posting a photo of herself flipping the bird at Arlington National Cemetery on Facebook — has lost her job.

“Lindsey resigned and we accepted her resignation,” LIFE Inc. CEO Diane Enochs told the Herald tonight.

LIFE Inc. of Hyannis — a Cape Cod nonprofit that helps adults with special needs — announced tonight that Stone, along with the woman who snapped the offending photo, are not working there.

Ironically, the formal announcement was made on Facebook.

“We wish to announce that the two employees recently involved in the Arlington Cemetery incident are no longer employees of LIFE. Again, we deeply regret any disrespect to members of the military and their families. The incident and publicity has been very upsetting to the learning disabled population we serve. To protect our residents, any comments, however well-intentioned, will be deleted. We appreciate your concern and understanding as we focus on the care of our community,” the statement reads.

There's more at that top link, but see this from the Herald as well, "Father ‘appalled’ by disrespectful Facebook pic":

The mortified father of a Plymouth woman under cyber assault for posting a photo of herself flipping the bird at sacred Arlington National Cemetery said his only daughter apologizes to anyone she’s offended — especially soldiers.

The controversial Facebook photo shows Lindsey Stone with her mouth wide open and giving the finger near what appears to be the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a sign that reads: “Silence and Respect.”

“She’s totally apologetic. She apologizes to anybody she’s offended,” her father, Peter Stone, told me last night. “She was reacting, I guess, to the sign instead of the place and didn’t intend it to be what it turned out to be.

“She had a lack of judgment,” added her father, who learned of the controversy yesterday. “I think they were just being funny, which is sad. It’s not how she or the family feels by any means.”

The photo wound up in the blogosphere and has sparked a “Fire Lindsey Stone” Facebook page that had fetched more than 9,000 likes as of last night.

Stone and Jamie Schuh, the woman who snapped the photo, have been put on unpaid leave from their jobs at the Hyannis-based LIFE Inc. — a nonprofit that helps adults with special needs — while it investigates the incident.

Well, it's permanent unpaid leave for the both of them now.

And extremely poor judgement it was. No doubt the company considered the woman to continuing liability to the concern and had to cut her loose.

And head back over to The Other McCain for a bit on the sordidness of Ms. Stone's actions. Word has it she was visiting Arlington on a company-paid trip, so that would make it look like the non-profit was financing the vulgarity. There's no way they could keep her on, although as bad as it was, for all it's vulgarity, flipping off the Tomb of the Unknowns is a form of political speech. Perhaps the outcome would have been different had Ms. Stone visited on her own time and her own dime. She would at least have had a better case for keeping her job. Either way, she's paying for her stupidity as much as her speech.

New Red Dawn Movie

I liked the original one...I will probably check out the new one and see if it is as good as the original.  I was a senior in high school when this movie came out and I was heavily involved on the ROTC program in high school,  We were patriotic to the point of jingoistic.  We had a president that was proud to be an American and he had helped give us our pride back after the malaise of the Carter Years.   We as kids had dreams of leading the revolt against the Soviets if they invaded.   Funny kid dreams, Now I am much older and wiser, but I still remember the idealism of that time and I wish we had it back as a nation.

"Because We Live Here"

"Because we live here."

New column over at VDare.com is a brief look at the new Red Dawn remake movie in theaters today, and a much longer look at the man who directed/wrote the 1984 Red Dawn -- John Milius [“I Would Have Done It About Mexico.” American Hero John Milius Denounces RED DAWN Remake, VDare, 11-21-12]:

Well, don’t worry: in the upcoming remake of Red Dawn, the cast has the Politically Correct mandated diversity that we’ve come to love and expect from Hollywood.

More significantly, and ignominiously, the original story of the Chinese invading America—standing in for the now defunct USSR from the first film—was scrapped after filming was finished, with the North Koreans (!!) digitally interpolated...so as not to offend our Chinese overlords. [‘Red Dawn’ Villains Switched from China to North Korea, ScreenRants.com, November 21, 2011]

Milius had already blasted the upcoming remake, which he deemed completely unnecessary. 24 Frames’ Rachel Abramowitz reported:

"I think it’s a stupid thing to do. The movie is not very old," says Milius, who’s not involved in the new film but was given a chance to read the new script. "It was terrible. There was a strange feeling to the whole thing. They were fans of the movie so they put in stuff they thought was neat. It’s all about neat action scenes, and has nothing to do with story."

In the original film, the Soviet Union has invaded the continental United States, and a group of young men and women (Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Grey) band together as a guerrilla group, nicknamed the Wolverines, to fight off the occupiers. In the 2010 edition, directed by Dan Bradley and starring Chris Hemsworth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the villains are the Chinese.

While the new baddies might tap into American fears about a rising China, to Milius it makes little political sense. “There’s only one example in 4,000 years of Chinese territorial adventurism, and that was in 1979, when they invaded Vietnam, and to put it mildly they got their [butts] handed to them,“ says Milius, noting that China built a wall to separate itself from invaders. “Why would China want us? They sell us stuff. We’re a market. I would have done it about Mexico." [ Original 'Red Dawn' director takes aim at the remake, March 26, 2010]

Mexico, eh? Judging by the state of California, Arizona, Texas and, increasingly, the entire United States, Milius might be onto something.

Read the rest there. Comment on it here. Just remember Milius is known for writing some of the most gripping dialogue in all of American cinema history.

But one line uttered with righteous indignation from Patrick Swayze in the original Red Dawn is all that matters: "Because we live here.

Which Nation is Communist?

  I saw this from SovereignMan.com

Tax policy really tells you a lot about a government... what politicians' values and priorities are. People can SAY anything, but in a way, tax policy is putting their money where their mouths are.

For example, politicians like to talk about technology, efficiency and transparency. But just take a look at the tax code to see where they really stand. Estonia's Taxation Act of 2002, which form the preponderance of that country's tax code, is 43,370 words.

In Canada, the tax code is close to 1 million words. And in the US, the tax code is so daunting that simply the INSTRUCTIONS for form 1040 shatter the record books at 178,096 words... over four times the entirety of Estonia's tax code.

US tax code is so massive, in fact, that the Government Printing Office charges $1,028 just to print a copy of it!

And for most taxpayers, it's still virtually impossible to file online. It's 2012 already, yet taxpayers in most 'advanced' western nations still have to carry around reams of paper as if we're still using the telegraph.

Then there are the rates themselves. In places like France, Belgium, and Germany where the government confiscates the majority of what people earn, the message those governments are sending is quite clear: citizens are nothing more than dairy cows for the government to milk.

As I wrote yesterday, tax rates across the board in the United States are set to increase dramatically in 2013. For example, if you happen to kick the bucket on or before December 31st, the government will charge a 35% tax on the value of your estate that exceeds $5 million.

If you happen to kick the bucket on January 1st, however, the tax goes up to 55%, and the exemption goes down to $1 million.

Moreover, this exemption is not indexed to inflation. Which means that the more Ben Bernanke prints, and the more asset prices become inflated, the more people will fall into this category.

Again, the message they're sending is quite clear-- citizens, even in death, are dairy cows for the government to milk.

Perhaps most shocking is increase in dividend tax rates, set to rise from 15% to as high as 43.4%. Individuals who start productive businesses are being heavily penalized. Individuals who save their money and put it to work investing in other people's businesses are being heavily penalized. This says a lot about government values.

Ironically, the new government of the People's Republic of China has decided the REDUCE their tax on dividends. Years ago it was 20%, then dropped to 10% in 2005. Effective January 1st, though, the dividend tax rate in China will drop to a mere 5%.

Tell me again... which of these nations is Communist?

Driver gets nailed with mobile Office

When I was doing my commercial driving a few years ago, I saw many things behind the wheel by the other drivers and it scared the crap out of me.   Things from talking on cellphones and applying makeup to clipping toenails while driving.  The worst I ever saw was a women driving a kia minivan with a low air front tire and she was reading a book on the steering wheel of her van and weaving back and forth.

Distracted drivers existed well before the advent of cellphones, and will likely exist long after such devices are shrunk to the size of a thumbnail and implanted under our skins at birth. In the meantime, many drivers will try to split their attention to the road with their work -- and one of the worst such offenders was caught hauling not just a phone or laptop, but an entire mobile office.

Police in the Saarland region of Germany pulled over a Ford Mondeo wagon last week for going about 80 mph in a 62-mph zone. Inside they found a Staples shopping spree in the front seat: a laptop with docking station, a router and wi-fi antenna tied to a cellular data stick, a printer and a power inverter to keep it all humming. The driver had taken some precautions toward distracted driving by mounting his cellphone to the windshield for hands-free use.

The setup looks messy and dangerous -- but as American police are finding, writing a ticket for distracted driving requires a tough level of proof. The German authorities didn't cite the Mondeo driver for any violations, because they didn't see him playing Michael Scott behind the wheel. I hope he's not one of those readers who needs to print out his emails to read them.

The World At War(TV Series)

I got trapped watching this show on the Military Channel.  I am folding clothes and doing other domestic stuff while watching this.   I remember watching this for the first time when I was in Germany in 1975 on AFN while my Dad was stationed in Frankfurt.  This show became the standard by which all other documentaries are judged.   To a 10 year old kid, this show ignited the love of History that I have now.   It is fascinating to see the interviews of people that have survived to give their input on the events that have transpired. 

The information compliments of "Wiki"

The World at War

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For other uses, see World at War (disambiguation).

The World at War
Format	Documentary
Created by	Jeremy Isaacs
Opening theme	World at War Theme music
Composer(s)	Carl Davis
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	26
Production
Producer(s)	Thames Television
Running time	22 hours 32 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV
Original run	31 October 1973 – 8 May 1974

The World at War (1973–74) is a 26-episode British television documentary series chronicling the events of the Second World War. At the time of its completion in 1973 it was the most expensive series ever made, costing £900,000.^[1] It was produced by Jeremy Isaacs, narrated by Laurence Olivier and has a score composed by Carl Davis. A book, The World at War, was written by Mark Arnold-Forster to accompany it.
Since production was completed, The World at War has attracted huge acclaim and is now regarded as a landmark in British television history.^[2] Following the time of its completion, and as the Second World War remained fresh in many people's minds, the producer Jeremy Isaacs was considered ahead of his time in resurrecting studies of military history.^[3] The series focused on, among other things, portrayal of the devastating human experiences of the conflict; how life and death throughout the war years affected soldiers, sailors and airmen, civilians, the tragic victims of tyranny and, above all, concentration camp inmates.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Episodes 2.1 Additional episodes 3 Books 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Overview

The World at War, which made use of rare colour film footage, was commissioned by Thames Television in 1969. Such was the extent of its research, it took four years to produce at a cost of £900,000 (2009 equivalent: £11.4 million^[4]). At the time, this was a record for a British television series. It was first shown in 1973, on ITV.
The series interviewed major members of the Allied and Axis campaigns, including eyewitness accounts by civilians, enlisted men, officers and politicians, amongst them Albert Speer, Karl Dönitz, Walter Warlimont, James Stewart, Bill Mauldin, W. Averell Harriman, Curtis LeMay, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, Alger Hiss, Toshikazu Kase, Mitsuo Fuchida, Minoru Genda, J. B. Priestley, Brian Horrocks, John J. McCloy, Lawrence Durrell, Arthur Harris, Charles Sweeney, Paul Tibbets, Anthony Eden, Traudl Junge, Mark Clark, Adolf Galland, Hasso von Manteuffel, and historian Stephen Ambrose.
In the programme The Making of "The World at War", included in the DVD set, Jeremy Isaacs explains that priority was given to interviews with surviving aides and assistants rather than recognised figures. The most difficult person to locate and persuade to be interviewed was Heinrich Himmler's adjutant, Karl Wolff. During the interview, he admitted to witnessing a large-scale execution in Himmler's presence. Isaacs later expressed satisfaction with the content of the series, noting that if it had been unclassified knowledge at the time of production, he would have added references to British codebreaking efforts.
In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes compiled by the British Film Institute during 2000, voted for by industry professionals, The World at War ranked 19th.

Episodes

The series has 26 episodes. Producer Jeremy Isaacs asked Noble Frankland, then director of the Imperial War Museum, to list fifteen main campaigns of the war and devoted one episode to each. The remaining eleven episodes are devoted to other matters, such as the rise of the Third Reich, home life in Britain and Germany, the experience of occupation in the Netherlands, and the Nazis' use of genocide. Episode 1 begins with a cold open describing the massacre at the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane by the Waffen SS. The same event is referenced again at the end of Episode 26 and the series ends with Laurence Olivier uttering the poignant word, "Remember".

#	Title	Original air date
1	"A New Germany (1933–1939)"	31 October 1973
The rebirth of Germany and growth in power of the Nazi Party leading up to the outbreak of war. Interviewees include Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin, Werner Pusch and Christabel Bielenberg.
2	"Distant War (September 1939 – May 1940)"	7 November 1973
The invasions of Poland, the Winter War, the sinking of the Graf Spee, the "phony war" and failure in Norway and the elevation of Winston Churchill to Prime Minister. Interviewees include Lord Boothby, Lord Butler, Admiral Charles Woodhouse, Sir Martin Lindsay and Sir John "Jock" Colville.
3	"France Falls (May – June 1940)"	14 November 1973
French politics, the Maginot Line, Blitzkrieg warfare and the Nazi invasion of France and the Low Countries. Interviewees include General Hasso von Manteuffel and General André Beaufre.
4	"Alone (May 1940 – May 1941)"	14 November 1973
The Battle of Britain, retreats in Greece, Crete and Tobruk, and life in Britain between the evacuation at Dunkirk and Operation Barbarossa. Interviewees include Anthony Eden, J. B. Priestley, Sir Max Aitken, Lieutenant General Adolf Galland and Sir John "Jock" Colville.
5	"Barbarossa (June – December 1941)"	21 November 1973
After dominating southeastern Europe through force or intrigue, Germany begins Operation Barbarossa, the massive invasion of Soviet Union. Despite several quick victories, the invasion ultimately stalls after a failed assault on Moscow during Russia's harsh winter. Interviewees include General Walter Warlimont, Albert Speer, Paul Schmidt and W. Averell Harriman.
6	"Banzai!: Japan (1931–1942)"	5 December 1973
The rise of the Japanese Empire, the Sino-Japanese War, Pearl Harbor and the early Japanese successes, and the fall of Malaya and Singapore.
7	"On Our Way: U.S.A. (1939–1942)"	12 December 1973
The opposition by various factions to the United States of America entry into the war, U-boat attacks on Atlantic convoys and America's gradiated responses, the mobilization of America after Pearl Harbor, the loss of the Philippines, the Doolittle Raid, Midway and Guadalcanal. Interviewees include J. K. Galbraith, John J. McCloy, Paul Samuelson, Isamu Noguchi, Richard Tregaskis and Vannevar Bush.
8	"The Desert: North Africa (1940–1943)"	19 December 1973
The desert war, starting with Italy's unsuccessful invasion of Egypt and the successive attacks and counter-attacks between Germany and Commonwealth forces, and the Afrika Korps's eventual defeat at El Alamein. Interviewees include General Richard O'Connor, Major General Francis de Guingand and Lawrence Durrell.
9	"Stalingrad (June 1942 – February 1943)"	2 January 1974
The mid-war German situation in Southern Russia resulting in the Battle of Stalingrad, and its ultimate German catastrophe.
10	"Wolf Pack: U-Boats in the Atlantic (1939–1944)"	9 January 1974
The submarine war emphasizing mainly the North Atlantic. Tracks the development of both the convoy system and German submarine strategy. Interviewees include Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz and Otto Kretschmer.
11	"Red Star: The Soviet Union (1941–1943)"	16 January 1974
The rise of the Red Army, mobilisation of Soviet production, the Siege of Leningrad, the Soviet partisans and the Battle of Kursk.
12	"Whirlwind: Bombing Germany (September 1939 – April 1944)"	23 January 1974
The development of British and American strategic bombing in both success and setback. Interviewees include Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, Albert Speer, James Stewart, William Reid, General Curtis LeMay, Werner Schröer, Lieutenant General Adolf Galland and General Ira C. Eaker.
13	"Tough Old Gut: Italy (November 1942 – June 1944)"	30 January 1974
Emphasizes the difficult Italian Campaign beginning with Operation Torch in North Africa, the invasion of Sicily; Salerno, Anzio, Cassino; and the capture of Rome. Interviewees include General Mark Clark, Field Marshal Lord Harding, Bill Mauldin, and Wynford Vaughan Thomas.
14	"It's A Lovely Day Tomorrow: Burma (1942–1944)"	6 February 1974
The jungle war in Burma and India—what it "lacked in scale was made up in savagery". Interviewees include Mike Calvert, Sir John Smyth and Vera Lynn (the episode title is the name of one of her songs), and Lord Mountbatten of Burma.
15	"Home Fires: Britain (1940–1944)"	13 February 1974
Life and politics in Britain from post-Battle of Britain to the first V-1 attacks. Interviewees include Lord Butler, Lord Shinwell, Lord Chandos, Tom Driberg, Michael Foot, Cecil Harmsworth King and J. B. Priestley.
16	"Inside the Reich: Germany (1940–1944)"	20 February 1974
German society and how it changes as its fortunes of war are reversed. Censorship and popular entertainment, the transformation of German industry, the recruitment of female and foreign labour, allied bombing, German dissent—including the 20 July plot, and the mobilisation of the Volkssturm towards the war's end. Interviewees include Albert Speer, Otto John, Traudl Junge, Richard Schulze-Kossens and Otto Ernst Remer.
17	"Morning (June – August 1944)"	27 February 1974
The development and execution of Operation Overlord followed by the allied breakout and battles at Bocage, and Falaise. Interviewees include Lord Mountbatten of Burma, Kay Summersby, James Martin Stagg and Major General J. Lawton Collins.
18	"Occupation: Holland (1940–1944)"	13 March 1974
Emphasizes life in the Netherlands under German occupation, when citizens chose to resist, collaborate or remain passive. Interviewees include Louis de Jong (who also served as adviser for this episode) and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.
19	"Pincers (August 1944 – March 1945)"	20 March 1974
The allied breakout in France and the failure of Operation Market Garden, the Warsaw Uprising, the Battle of the Bulge and the crossing of the Rhine. Interviewees include Lieutenant General Brian Horrocks, Wynford Vaughan Thomas, General Hasso von Manteuffel, Major General Francis de Guingand, W. Averell Harriman and Major General J. Lawton Collins.
20	"Genocide (1941–1945)"	27 March 1974
Begins with the founding of the S.S. and follows the development of Nazi racial theory. It ends with the implementation of the Final Solution.
21	"Nemesis: Germany (February – May 1945)"	3 April 1974
The final invasion of Germany by both the Western and Eastern allies, the bombing of Dresden, and the events in the Führerbunker during the fall of Berlin. Interviewees include Albert Speer, Traudl Junge and Heinz Linge.
22	"Japan (1941–1945)"	10 April 1974
Japan's society and culture during wartime, and how life is transformed as the country gradually becomes aware of increasingly catastrophic setbacks including the Doolittle raid, defeat at Midway, the death of Isoroku Yamamoto, the Battle of Saipan, Okinawa and the relentless bombing of Japanese cities.
23	"Pacific (February 1942 – July 1945)"	17 April 1974
The successive and increasingly bloody land battles on tiny islands in the expansive Pacific, aimed towards the Japanese heartland. Following the bombing of Darwin, the over-extended Japanese are progressively turned back at Kokoda, Tarawa, Peleliu, the Philippines, Iwo Jima and finally Okinawa.
24	"The Bomb (February – September 1945)"	24 April 1974
The development of the atomic bomb, the ascendency of President Harry Truman, emerging splits in the Allies with Joseph Stalin, and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ultimately leading to the surrender of Japan. Interviewees include Toshikazu Kase, Yoshio Kodama, Marquis Koichi Kido, Major General Charles Sweeney, Brigadier General Paul Tibbets, Alger Hiss, W. Averell Harriman, Lord Avon, McGeorge Bundy, John J. McCloy, General Curtis LeMay and Hisatsune Sakomizu.
25	"Reckoning (April 1945)"	1 May 1974
The situation in post-war Europe including the allied occupation of Germany, demobilisation, the Nuremberg Trials and the genesis of the Cold War. The episode concludes with summations about the ultimate costs and consequences of the war. Interviewees include Charles Bohlen, Stephen Ambrose, Lord Avon, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, Hartley Shawcross and Noble Frankland.
26	"Remember"	8 May 1974
How the war – both good and bad experiences – was experienced and remembered by its witnesses.

The series was originally transmitted on the ITV network in the United Kingdom between 31 October 1973 and 8 May 1974, and has subsequently been shown around the world. It was first shown in the US in syndication on various PBS stations in 1975. New York's independent commercial station — subsequently becoming Secaucus, New Jersey's in 1983 — WOR aired The World at War series in the mid-seventies (although episodes were edited both for graphic content and to include sufficient commercial breaks). PBS station WGBH broadcast the series unedited and in its entirety in the late eighties. The Danish channel DR2 also broadcast the series in December 2006 and January 2007. The History Channel in Japan began screening the series in its entirety in April 2007. It repeated the entire series again in August 2011. The Military History Channel in the UK broadcast the series over the weekend of 14 and 15 November 2009. The U.S. version of the Military Channel aired the series in January 2010. In summer 2010, BBC2 in the U.K. transmitted a repeat run of the series. In 2011, the British channel Yesterday started a showing of the series.
Each episode was 52 minutes excluding commercials; as was customary for ITV documentary series at the time, it was originally screened with only one central break. The Genocide episode was screened uninterrupted.
The series was also put on 13 Laservision Longplay videodisks by Video Garant Amsterdam 1980, and included Dutch subtitling for the Dutch television market.

Additional episodes

Some footage and interviews which were not used in the original series were later made into additional hour or half-hour documentaries narrated by Eric Porter. These were released as a bonus to the VHS version and are included in the DVD set of the series.

1. Secretary to Hitler
2. Warrior - Reflections of Men at War (directed by Alan Afriat)
3. Hitler's Germany: The People's Community (1933–1939)
4. Hitler's Germany: Total War (1939–1945)
5. The Two Deaths of Adolf Hitler
6. The Final Solution: Part One
7. The Final Solution: Part Two
8. From War to Peace

Books

The original book The World at War,^[5] which accompanied the series was written by Mark Arnold-Forster in 1973. In October 2007 Ebury Press published The World at War, a new book by Richard Holmes, an oral history of the Second World War drawn from the interviews conducted for the TV series.^[6] The programme's producers committed hundreds of interview-hours to tape in its creation, but only a fraction of that recorded material was used for the final version of the series. A selection of the rest of this material was published in this book, which included interviews with Albert Speer, Karl Wolff (Himmler's adjutant), Traudl Junge (Hitler's secretary), James Stewart (USAAF bomber pilot and Hollywood star), Anthony Eden, John Colville (Private Secretary to Winston Churchill), Averell Harriman (US Ambassador to the Soviet Union) and Arthur "Bomber" Harris (Head of RAF Bomber Command)