1800 Sorties. It Started With the Ottoman Empire. Hate Not. Kane & Progba. Six Innings of Fun.
The real question to be answered is the ability for any unauthorized person to get into the cockpit of a commercial airliner, taxi out to a runway, and takeoff. We will look to the authorities at the Sea-Tac airport, NTSB, and TSA to find these answers. The backstory to this Friday night incident is Operation Noble Eagle, put into place shortly after 9/11. We all know it as NORAD which is the acronym for the North American Aerospace Defense Command. #NORAD is the combined organization of the U.S.A. and Canada charged with aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection for North America. Under Operation Noble Eagle, it is alarming that NORAD has had to deploy 1,800 intercepts of non-military aircraft since 9/11. For Friday night’s mission, NORAD directed two F-15 fighter jets to fly at supersonic speed from Portland, Oregon to intercept this rouge jet to prevent the pilot from crashing into a populated area or nuclear power plant. The directive to shoot down the plane comes from NORAD, based near Colorado Springs and commanded by a 4-Star General. The good news is that the pilot had no intention of terrorism and ended up crashing the plane onto an uninhabited island in Puget Sound. A very sad scenario for this sick young man but fortunate that he was only looking for a thrill ride. The real life situation for that 4-Star General at NORAD becomes a bit of a different situation when a jetliner is filled with passengers and crew, with terrorists taking over the plane similar to the scenarios of 9/11. Giving the ‘knock-down’ command in that scenario has to be gut-wrenching.
Inhabited since the 15th century B.C. this strip of land later became part of the Ottoman Empire. This Palestinian territory, only twice the size of Washington D.C., sits on the Mediterranean Sea and is bordered by Egypt and Israel. Coined “the intractable conflict”, the #Gaza strip conflicts are inflamed by Jewish immigration and settlements, sectarian uprisings between Arabs and Jews, and Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Fifty-one years of continuous conflict and war has also been fueled by many terrorist groups based in Gaza. The Army of Islam, Hamas, and the Palestine Liberation Front come to mind but are also supported by foreign-based terrorist groups including ISIS. Unfortunately there is no answer for this ongoing conflict as it dovetails with inevitable battles surrounding the Middle East. 2000 years of disagreement and conflict seems like it will never go away.
A year ago yesterday, in a beautiful town anchored by the University of Virginia, racial uprisings resulted in violence and several deaths. Charlottesville, Virginia received worldwide attention as neo-Nazi sympathizers and counter protesters clashed at what was called a White Nationalist Rally. America and Civil Rights go hand-in-hand but racial and religious discrimination is in one word sickening. I guess you have a right to be a bigoted moron but why not find your way to a faraway place to vent your racial bias? I know you are too stupid to figure out where to go so I will pick a destination for you: how about the Danakil Depression, which straddles Ethiopia and Eritrea, with many considering it the hottest, lowest, and least livable place on Earth. Sounds like the perfect fit for all of you.
The English Premier League started off on Friday. Already we have Jose Mourinho smiling and three points for Tottenham. Arsenal and Manchester City go at it later this morning capping off a good first weekend of the EPL.
It is has been a long time since I sat in front of a television to watch a Major League Baseball game. I am not a hater of baseball, I just don’t like the monotonous pace as well as the length of the game. Yes, I have proposed changing the game a bit, including reducing the number of innings to seven, but I doubt that my suggestion will ever happen as it will reduce the amount of commercial and promotional spots. On the flip side, I took in a Little League World Series regional game yesterday. The kids are no older than thirteen and show great skills and passion for the game of baseball. Fun to watch and the game at this level is six innings. Perfect.
Adios and Have a Funday Sunday!