SpawnPoint

September 11, 2015
Reporting by Vanessa Stevenson of MS-FOX News
Credit/Sources Reuters World Media

I am reporting from the Persian Gulf on the newest American Super-Carrier, the Gerald R. Ford. From my vantage point on top of the new dual band radar system that is monitoring the skies for hundreds of miles around, I am looking upon an unusually churned ocean as a flotilla of over 100 warships from the US Coalition prepare for military operations.  This US Coalition, comprised of American, British, Australian, Italian, German combat ships as well as a number of Japanese support vessels (with the rumors of a newly commission Japanese Naval destroyer squadron being positioned to provide  support from the Oman Sea), has been gathering for weeks in preparation of what is seen to be a major air-war with a follow-on my a coalition of Army and Marine units.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is said to have spoken briefly with Iranian President Ahmadinejad a couple of hours ago, in an attempt to forestall this invasion of Iraq and potentially the Iranian homeland.  The Alliance military buildup is in response to the growing genocide of Iraqi Sunni populations by Iranian Security Forces.  This buildup has quickened after last weeks reported chemical bombardment of the Sunni town of Talafar that killed an estimated 12,000 civilians. Iranian Ministry officials deny the use of WMD’s but did confirm attacks on insurgent forces in the town of Talafar.  They estimated only 18 died. 

Military sources believe that the Alliance is likely to begin targeting of Iranian “security” bases operating within Iraq to include the US Base outside of Kirkuk that was over-run by Iranian Security forces in 2008 shortly after the US Marine’s departure.  It is also rumored that Alliance covert operations are operating throughout Iraq and Iran establishing ties and providing relief to insurgent forces resisting the Iranian occupation of Iraq.

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A summary of events leading to Operation Iraqi Freedom II

2007  -
The lack of significant progress in light of unrealistic goals of the troop Surge in Iraq led to the dismissal of another US General by Congressional action
US Senate & Congress demanding the roll-back of forces to begin by December of 2007

2008 -
Because of perceived American weakness, the Iranian backed insurgency pushed harder in early 2008 resulting in the reduction of US troop levels to less then 60,000 by the end of the year.  US Troops remained in the “Green Zone”, a few other military positions in Ambar Province and Baghdad.  A continued US troop presence would continue in Southern Iraq until the migration to a Kuwaiti based US Firebase.  An estimated 15,000 US Troops would remain in Kurdish territories.

With the pullout of US Military forces in 2008, Iranian security forces began to multiply.  With already an estimated 1000+ Iranian security forces and advisors operating in Iraq in 2007,  by the end of 2008 over 50,000 would be providing ‘security’ in predominantly Shia populated regions. 

Rumors of a campaign of violence against Sunni populations with the aim of forcing the hands of Sunni insurgents

2009 –
Iranian security forces numbering 200,000 now operate through-out Iraq except for the southern border with Kuwait and the Kurdish territories to the north. 

Iraq government capitulates to Iranian demands and agrees to recognize the protection of Iraq by the Iranian military and demands withdrawal of all US forces from the country. The US declines the opportunity for complete withdrawal and maintains a ring of firebases in the southern port city near Kuwait as well as in Northern Iraq.

Insurgent attacks, supported by a growing Hezbollah and Iranian supplied,  against US positions near the southern Iraq ports forces the US Marines to route across the border to Kuwait

Public Western outrage at the genocide of a small Sunni town outside of Bagdad rumored to be a Sunni ‘Insurgent Stronghold’. 

US funding of Sunni insurgent groups in Iraq increases 200%

2010 –
Iranian military provide security for all of Iraq (except northern Kurdish Regions)
Iraqi government assumes state control over all oil resources in Iraq, banishing all Western aligned Oil companies out Insurgency continues. Genocide of Sunni populations continues.
Destruction of US Destroy Nasworth by Iranian insurgents in the Gulf

2012 –
The price of oil begins to move from the stable $80 a barrel to over $100 a barrel due to restricted contracts to Chinese firms for Iraqi oil
Insurgency continues. Genocide of Sunni populations continues.

2014 –
Iran and Iraq, jointly controlling over 30% of the worlds oil supply,  declare an oil embargo over the US and any countries aligned with it. 
Insurgency continues. Genocide of Sunni populations continues.
Joint Iranian and Iraqi military buildup occurs on Saudi border.  Old arguments used to justify hostilities.

2015-
A continuation and expansion of the armed conflict of the middle east.


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This article is a fictitious account of a world that may come.  Arguements for peace instead of war.. for the sake of peace and peace alone.. tend to lead to further conflict.  Two enemies that take a step back but one not defeated and disarmed leads to a continuation of conflict as soon as circumstances are convenient for one side or the other.  Neither should, from a political viewpoint, be deemed evil however everyone must take a side.  In Wester Society it behooves us to maintain and stabilize otherwise instable regions.  This rule is further encouraged when said regions provide critical resources to the economies of our societies. 

We should recognize the situation for what it is today, not how it might have been or how we would have liked it.  Like the current US Administration or not,  the situation is what it is.  To retreat and allow the situation to spiral further is to invite future failures at a larger cost.  No war is unwinnable for our wester societies if we choose to expend the appropriate capital, treasure, and blood.  We simply need to have the willpower and understanding of the need.

Two days ago.. Jack Thompson submits to public record actual lude and pornographic content in a legal document that is available online for public review.  Rather then simply providing a link and reference to it... he puts it in the digital version he was submitting to the court.

This means that my 8 year old daughter, researching a legal topic for a report... can comes across pornographic material while browsing cases with the Supreme Court.

Good job Jack!

Oh.. also.. In a press release issued late yesterday, Thompson claims that his 15-year-old son has once again purchased an M-rated (17 and older) game at a South Florida retailer.

Can we arrest his son?

Found this on The Onion...

Putting Pressure On Iran

The White House is looking at deterring the Iranian nuclear program with new sanctions. What measures have been proposed?

It always sucks to move from the work week and get sick over the weekend.  It is worse when you have an unsypathetic wife,3 kids and a very busy schedule of events that really DON'T care how you feel.

So, saturday morning starts with vertical upheaval of previously consumed foods. Fun.  This happens a few times.

Saturday night has a whole new flavor of issues.  Previously consumed foods decide to come out of other orifices in the same viscous format as before.. just more different ways.  While I am akin to not sleeping much, I hate TRYING to sleep.. and not doing so until 6am because of aforementioned problems.

Ok - So the spouse lets me sleep till 10am.  Thanks.

The rest of the day is much the same until the afternoon when I am feeling better and about 10lbs lighter.  I decide to do some of my normal weekend chores.  Cleaning the garage, cleaning the pool deck, etc. I have this box of.. well.. miscellaneous toy crap that my kids never use in an old cardboard box.  Time to sort and toss this stuff. 

Hand into box. Pull some toys out. Throw in trash or plastic bag for later examination.

Hand in box. Same thing.

Repeat.

Hand in box. OOh! Something different! Hand comes away with two drops of blood and a sharp pain.  Oh, there is the lovely low-pitch but fast cascade of wasps/bees that is sadly, distinctly not wasps or bees.  Out of the box shoots this Pygmy Rattler. WACK WACK WACK.. Goes for the toes (in flip flops. so this is a danger).

Lets stop here.

For those not accustomed to snakes in their lives, this sounds like a scary experience.

For those who ARE accustomed to snakes in their lives.. well.. this is still a scary experience! 

Back to the action.

In 4 seconds or less the situation has been assessed. I have been bitten (again) by a Pygmy Rattler. From previous experiences, I know that this is not fatal but I also know that in about 2 minutes my life is going to change as pain starts to setin from the poison that is necronious (eats away the flesh).  I have 2 little kids in the pool behind me obvlivious to the events.  I have not examined this box further to know if there are MORE snakes in there (when you find one... well.. you tend to find more then one).  

Hammer is on a table 20 feet away. Kids are 30 feet away.  Hammer is grabbed. Hammer pounds on snake head 3 times.  Snake smooshed.

Kids are wooshed out of the water, towels on body and shoved into the house.  Hand is held down to prevent spreading of poison. Drip drip... blood on patio. Wife summoned to take kids away.  Haven't told her what happened but she see's the blood and is concerned.  March back out  - kick the boxes. No snakes come flying out, I am pretty certain none are there.

Back in house.  Here is the dialogue. (Wife is drying kids).

Shane holding finger down, squeezing in a semi tourniquette. Says to wife: "Got bit by a Pygmy Rattler. No I won't die.  Need to rinse wound off and check."

Wife: "Again?"

Shane: "Shutup. "

Wife: "Want me to call 9-11?"
- Wife goes ahead and calls a friend to come to the house who lives down the street to watch the kids just in case.

Shane: "Not yet. No rush. "
- sink runs, revealing to small puncture holes. A little swelling. Nothing else.  Water still running (Warm water - cold water doesn't help.. in fact.. tends to make it worse).

5 minutes passes and I am not screaming for my mommy. Last time I got bit by a Pygmy Rattler I was screaming for Jesus, Jebus, God, Satan, the Earth Mother, and for morphine (I am a wuss).  I had anti-venom applied to the wound and my little toe survived the ordeal.  No pain this time.  I know that - some - percentage of bites are 'dry'. re: no venom.  

GOOGLE - is your friend.  An estimated 25-40% of Pygmy Rattle bites are dry.  I got lucky today and saved the $50 co-pay at the emergency room!

End result - I still feel crappy. Freaked the kids out.  Had to empty all my boxes and clean stuff up.  Oh. And I still feel crappy.
-
Shane

I was driving to work when the news first started to report a crashed airplane in one of the towers.  Most assumed it was a Cesna or other similiar small aircraft.

I was in the showers at work when the 2nd one hit.  My wife called.  And so began one of my personal worst days in my life.

To be honest, I am a lot dissapointed by my fellow American's willingness to forget about the day and forget about the anger they had.  Their willingness to forget the wrongs committed by others and being unwilling to take up arms in righteous anger. 

There is nothing more rewarding in life then being a father.. or if their is something, I have not found it and to be honest I don't think I am interested in finding it. 

Their is no feeling of closeness with God that can beat the feeling that can take over you as you look down on your children sleeping. 

Owning a company or reveling in the passion of your job is wonderful and can fulfill many lives... but only if those lives have not known the love of a 5 year old boy who's greatest obsession in life is to be a Pirate. 

Being a braniac know-it-all and knowing everyone around you knows just how smart you are is very gratifying.. but again, any man would trade this all in for a moments time with his children. 

Every once in a while, when looking at your children, you get a glimpse of the anguish that must tear at a parents heart when their children do something vile and evil.  As well, you get a glimpse as to how the parents may not be able to let go of their love for their children in the face of that evil.  I can see spending the rest of your life consoling the victims of your child and committing your life to helping your child see the wrongs he or she committed until they can come to terms with it.

When people tell of willingness to die for their children, do not doubt it.  I could knowingly walk in front of a train in trade for the life of any of my children.  Even if my trade meant just 10 more minutes of life for them, this is within my power.  Killing for, dying for, stealing for, anything for - whether this is God's divine spirit breathed into parents or this is simply mother nature having done a damn-good-job, its there.  It cannot be forgotten.

I love my little pirates.

OK. - Guys - you /want/ to watch this video about -OMEGACON-... the marketing person is just so very very .. smart.  Check out the video interview of her here.

A few more things.. haven't had a lot of time to post and comment on many yet.  My friend is doing actual interviews right now, so those should be entertaining!


Star Wars - The Bounty Hunters Converge - http://www.spawnpoint.com/dragoncon/M2U00030.MPG
Batman and Party - http://www.spawnpoint.com/dragoncon/M2U00034.MPG
R2D2 - http://www.spawnpoint.com/dragoncon/M2U00037.MPG