Too Much “Foreign Relations”

I note that the New York Times has called for Harry Reid to take the gavel of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from the inept hands of New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, because of, well foreign relations.

O.K. the Times does not mention the claims that Menendez had sex in the Dominican Republic with underage girls – I just could not help the “foreign relations” tie-in.

The Times does mention that Menendez is hardly competent for the post anyway and only gained it through seniority, and that Menemdez is under investigation for using his influence unduly to help a BIG donor both to the Democratic Party in general, and Bob Menendez in particular.

The Times suggests that in view of the kerfuffle, Menendez should step down temporarily. The FBI is investigation, and they seldom waste time when there is not a serious suspicion of wrongdoing, particularly when a US Senator is involved.

Stealth Advantages and Disadvantages

The Chris Dorner case continues cat and mouse – assuming he is still alive and not dead from a self-inflicted wound.

I doubt that. He knows the longer he is alive and uncaught, the more angst he causes to those whom he hunts, and the more assets he ties up. He gets his revenge by waiting.

As a Submariner, it is a beautiful thing to be in a submarine and know that all of the surface ships live in constant fear. That is a huge ocean, and only a few dotted submarines, but no one sleeps well on a surface ship because they never know when the Sonarman will shout over his sound-powered phones those dreaded words, “Torpedo in the water!” (That is seldom said twice, as the Sonarman rips off his phones and heads topside.)

Dorner has the advantages of submarines – stealth – but he also has the disadvantages. So long as he does not strike, he causes fear – but when he strikes he identifies himself and his exact location. In submarines we called this a “Flaming Datum” – The flaming wreck marked our last absolutely known time and location, and there is a limited distance from that “Flaming Datum” that we can physically get in any given response time.

Submarines have the added advantage of being difficult to recognize – they can make themselves look and sound like whales, or schools of shrimp, or other objects. Dorner is a six foot, muscular Black man who weighs 270 pounds – you can put him in a Burka and he is still a six foot, muscular Black man who weighs 270 pounds!

But he is also well-trained, so he knows that he cannot operate from crowds, his best operational capabilities are from places like the Big Bear area, and while that particular spot is too hot there are hundreds of similar places in Southern California.  Eventually, he runs out of food or gasoline – unless he has well-placed stashes – and that may eventually be his undoing.

He knows that the problem he faces in attaining food and gas is habit – I was once told that whatever identity I had, if my general geographical location was known I could be found by staking out the best Hamburgers.

Dorner crossed the line when he killed the young couple – the daughter of a policeman and her boyfriend.

I do not understand the Facebook support he has. Killing unarmed non-combatants has always been over the line.  He needs to be brought to justice quickly – and not necessarily neatly.

Case Closed

It was cold and rainy last night.

The homeless shivered outside in the cold rain.

The churches were warm, dry — and VACANT!

Case closed.