Far East Cynic

Yes I am………..

But besides me, there are a few others out there who are expert at shooting themselves in the foot.

Lets start with Dear Leader. You know, the dorky looking guy with huge glasses who according to Colbert: “Likes James Bond, Good Scotch and Daffy Duck cartoons”. Always great things to have in the mind of a leader who controls nuclear weapons.
Or does he?

According to Defense Tech, the NORKS may have screwed the pooch again:

According to Jeffrey Lewis:

Guess the beatings did not produce the desired results eh? Maybe they should go to Iran and we can all sleep easier-or not, since they still blew something up when they should be not doing so. However it does say something for “100% indigenous North Korean technology”. I’ll wait a while before pricing one of their cars.

Then there are the Democrats-who never met an election they could not lose. They are given a HUGE opportunity in the case of the Foley mess, which coupled with that other little mess in Iraq gives them something to really put the President and the do nothing Congress on the defensive about. So what do they choose to talk about today? The one thing that scares the American people right back into the Republican camp-North Korea. A prudent democrat would have echoed the noise of the rest of the world, decried the test, swore that they were really going to get it, and that we support our country all the way. No, not my boys from the party of Fags and Feminists. They let John Kerry go out and shove them in front of an oncoming bus:

That may be true, but there is a question of timing-which as they say is everything-because making this kind of pronouncement this early does them no favors. Like was pointed out by another Senator: “Listening to some Democrats, you’d think the enemy was George Bush, not Kim Jong Il”. Especially since when one opens that Pandora’s box, one will find both Democrats and Republicans are equally dirty handed.

Good job guys! Who taught you guys how to think?

Because the point is, with the US tied down in Iraq, a smart Democrat could hammer on that, and the administration’s real dirty little secret, namely that the armed forces are not resourced well enough for all the challenges facing it, and never mention North Korea once. The voter could make the connection between being distracted by Iraq and not being able to make a credible deterrent to the NORKS all by himself.

But, as I said earlier, that’s what makes those wacky Democrats just so much fun to watch. They always, and I do mean always, know how to take a good deal and f**k it up.

And on that note I’m not even going to point out how self defeating this statement is:

Scarlett Johansson: ‘I’m Not Promiscous’

Give me another beer! And check out the updates on the NORK test over at The Marmot’s Hole!

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I wonder if these guys are anything like JOPA?

H/T to MajMike, via LEX

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The little bastards in North Korea may have gone and done it:

I think that officially confirms it-this week is going to suck.

Not very much apparently. This week has been almost surreal and now that I am back in Japan it seems as if it did not happen. More in a subsequent post when I am not so tired. The time difference really is taking a toll on me. Its 9pm but my body thinks its 2am.

Had an interesting experience landing at Narita today. Was flying on JAL-without saying a word, they upgraded me to business (as Ferris Bueller would say: “It is so choice!”)-and we were just approaching the runway environment when I felt the surge of the engines, the nose come up and all the other symptoms of taking a go around. Being an experienced rider from my days in the E-2, its always a surprise when that happens. Seemed to me that during the climbout and return back over the water, the pilot was forever trying to play with the power levers and adding power. Bumpy ride around the east coast of Japan! So, 20 minutes later we finally touched down. They never really said why, just that they had to take it around. Being half awake and half asleep, Woodward’s book open on my lap, the sudden climb got my attention!

Speaking of Woodward I am aout 3/4 of the way through it. Somehow I cannot picture interactions between folks at that level transpiring exactly as he describes. For one thing, it would seem to me that the whole set-up would be more structured than he describes it, and second the staffs of these people(as described by Woodward) don’t seem to know rule #1 of staffdom: never let your boss get surprised. So its hard for me to accept a lot of what he says at face value. I’ll finish the book and give you my review.

What I did learn this week though is that decisions made in haste are repented at with painful leisure. And that I’ve changed a lot from the guy I used to be 10 years ago. Learned I have some rage lurking beneath the surface (bet you could never have guessed!), and that I am not my same old happy go lucky self that I was 6 months ago. This was all learned during time walking around and sitting in parks and bars contemplating I don’t know what. Let me get some sleep and I’ll try to sort it out.

I also learned I must like the S.O. more than I think sometimes. Went for a late dinner last night, and then went back to my hotel. After a fairly long walk there arrived at the hotel to discover I had left all the assorted presents I had spent the evening buying her at the restaurant. Now it was 5 minutes after the restaurant closed. So I literally RAN, back through the park and up another 7 blocks hoping against hope that someone would still be there. (No taxis were in sight). Puffing, wheezing and sweat running down my neck. I banged on the door and they opened it! Explaining my predicament, they smiled and said yes the shopping bag was there. Now that was workout!

Maybe that is why I am so tired……………….ZZZZZZZZZZ

Madame Chiang has an answer for you about women…………

Read for yourself. Good food for thought.

UPDATE! Thanks to the commenter who pointed out that screwed up the link.
Its fixed now.

I just saw on TV that the Amish folks in Pennsylvania allowed the wife of the murderer to come to the funeral. Because ” they belive it is a gift to receive forgiveness, and then to pass it on”. So while Pat Roberston and others will be decrying the whole demise of America theme, these folks are moving on. (Without cellphones……).

There is a lesson in there somewhere. For us, and for those who think they are better than us. You know who you are………………..

Which reminds me. I am about 1/3 of the way through Woodward’s book. Stayed in this evening and read it. (Which is idiocy itself considering that I am in Hawaii………). For Navy folks out there, the whole first section of the book is devoted to how Richard Meyers became the CJCS and not Vern Clark. There is an air of unreality to the story………I can’t picture him saying the things that are quoted. Anybody got any inside dirt?

Can’t figure out which would have been worse: Vern as CJCS or 6 years of him trying to get the Little Crappy Ship and giving the Navy FRP………………If Woodward is to be believed, option 1 might have been better because Rummy ignored the service chiefs anyway……………..

Well, I went and spent money on THE book. (Woodward’s…). Also bought Thank you for Smoking DVD, which went on sale today.

The news shows continue to talk about all the bad news this week and in particluar Mark Foley. This thing seems to have taken on a life of its own.

Most preposterous argument I heard to date? That somehow Republicans get treated more harshly than Democrats when it comes to sex scandals. That is almost always an attempt to ressurrect the Clinton blow job. Such arguments are ludicrous. First this scandal is not yet about sex, its who the good Congressman made sexual innuendos to.
Its also about other Congressmen knowing that they had a bonehead in their midst and not acting sooner to stop it. In the case of Lewinsky: a) it was a girl and b) she was past the age of consent. That just puts it in the area of mindless sex and not well advised, but not a crime also. (For the record, I forgive Bill getting some on the side, if you h ad Hillary for a wife you would need it too).

Second most amazing thing-hearing that a radio columnist had to give up 500,000 dollars of valuable air time to stop Phleps from protesting at the Amish funerals. That is as amazing as it is disgusting. Sure I would not want to be Amish, but what did they ever do to Phelps? This thing is bad enough without making it worse…..

What the hell was Mike Foley thinking?

Actually, he probably was not. He just thought he was having a little innocent fun……..now the whole world knows about it.

He says it was the booze……I discount that theory some what. All booze does is lower your inhibitions and make really dumb ideas seem all right. Like picking up a Thai hooker in Nana plaza…or e-mailing a teenage congressional page. At least with option one, she goes away the next morning and you never have to see her again.

With option 2, well you can “build a 1000 bridges, but just…” you folks know the rest. Its all they remember you for.

Being back here in the US has been interesting to say the least. Its all Foley, all the time on TV. Good grief! Michelle Malkin has enjoyed the news though.

Its shoved the recent revelation of her church camp pictures by some other blogs. Mainly the ones who are bemoaning her hypocrisy. Now she claims the picture was “photoshopped”. Some corners are not buying it however. I’m not sure if it is real or not, but part of me really wishes it was……Wish some of the girls I knew looked that good in a bikini! Of course, as we know it all goes down hill when she opens her mouth.

I do now have a mission though. Stop by Barnes and Noble for a copy of Woodward’s book. Bastard! He’s suckered me for a third time to read his fiction narrative.

Ja ne and stay away from IM.

First things first. To the lady who quietly upgraded me on CX-THANK YOU! That was a nice surprise. Business class on CX is pretty sweet!

To the shrew from SATO who booked me on a non upgradeable ticket out of NRT, simply because I have the temerity to want all my miles with one airline alliance so I CAN upgrade, I hope your husband yells at you for a week. Someone will have to explain to me why wanting to be comfortable or wanting to fly a certain airline is a crime. The government’s system of arranging travel is simply hosed up. Let me do it myself please, I can do a better job. GRRRRR!

I wanted to see the fireworks over the harbor last night. However, I made the mistake at about 7 pm of laying down “for a few minutes rest”. Next thing I knew, it was 11 o clock and I had missed the whole thing. That was the one thing I wanted to do yesterday. At least I avoided the crowds on the water front. However to say I am disappointed is an understatement.

Speaking of disappointments, has anyone been paying attention to the news about Bob Woodward’s book? While I agree with his central premise, that the US has mismanaged its adventure in Iraq and the administration refuses to recognize that fact. At the same time, if its like his last two books, Woodward does not footnote, so one has to wonder if he can really prove some of the quotes he states. I would assume so, he probably knows more about the libel laws than any other reporter, but there is just an air of insider chumminess when he writes about this White House.

This weekend was not anything like I thought it would be. Which to tell the truth is damn shame because I do not know when I will get back. Tried to get up to some of the tourist landmarks, the crowds were prohibitive. I did walk around the park though. (Before it started raining…..). and saw brides getting their wedding pictures done. That always has seemed to be to be a ludicrous tradition. The guy gets off easy-a suit is suit-but the bride has to be poured into her dress, make up set and then walked around in a place that was never meant for a dress. All the brides I saw sure seemed beautiful. Nonetheless, I could not help wondering about what their life was like. What were there hopes and dreams? How did they meet the husband? And why is not life more fair……………That pretty picture can seem pretty shallow when the real world comes caving in…………..

That’s a whine of sorts, because I’ve come to realize that I have made a couple of really big mistakes recently. Ones that are not easy to undo. Nothing illegal or fattening (well maybe the beer to wash away the memory is fattening), but I have to sort out a path to move ahead. At this point the map is not very clear. Anybody got a Life GPS they can loan me? I know the destination I want to go to, thank you very much. I just don’t know the way to get there-or if any one should accompany me on the journey. Stay tuned, its going take literally months to sort this out.

For now though, its off again! See you on the other side!

Not much to say today. Have been out and about plus I’m thinking about many things this weekend. I read some interesting things yesterday.

Thomas Friedman has a great aritcle that is worth looking into. As most of you know the Pope asked a legitimate question, namely what , if anything did Mohammed bring to the discussion besides violence and misery? Friedman points out that what is truly insulting about all this is the Muslim reaction to that very question. Rather than answer it, they just get offended.

Read the whole thing here.