Sailfish, Sportsmen, Politicians, and their "ethics"...

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Had the opportunity to meet with Scott today for a short time and we spoke about my recent trip to Key West to work the World Sailfish tournament and the level of Sportsmanship that now exists in many tournaments. Scott is an avid Turkey hunter as well as Whitetail Deer sportsman and the level of ethical management within these sports are very impressive. Scott informed me of the progress made by organizations such as the Wild Turkey Federation and efforts to manage Whitetail deer populations for the benefit of the animals and their habitats.

I was surprised when Scott told me that both the wild Turkey as well as the Whitetail deer populations had in the past become dangerously threatened as the result of poor management and abuse. Sportsman became involved in the sense that they learned and understood that the species could\would not survive if they were not managed properly. Scott also told me of his efforts with other local sportsmen to manage and improve the habitats in the valley to allow these species to grow in numbers but yet not overpopulate to a point where the animals suffer from lack of food, range, and disease.

We spoke of the “ethics” involved in managing an organized hunt to protect both the animals and the sportsmen involved in the harvest. The ethics of taking only that which is needed as compared to a purely “trophy” or “numbers” hunt which does not respect the animal or the sport itself…

In speaking with Scott I told him of an incident which happened in the Sailfish tournament that I just returned from. Unlike in the past where Sailfish tournaments were judged by the number of dead Sailfish that each team could bring back to the dock, the World Sailfish tournament is a “Catch & Release” tournament. All Sailfish must be released alive and in good condition and no injuries to the fish are allowed. Circle hooks are now required for they are very less harmful to the fish and each boat is required to submit digital video of each fish caught to prove how many fish caught as well as to prove the fish was released in good condition. These improved “Sportsman Ethics” involve much more effort, care, and increased procedures to win a tournament but this format has been overwhelmingly accepted by the Sportfishing community and has improved\protected the Sailfish population.

During this past tournament I worked the “Committee boat” which monitored the radio reports of fish caught and tournament procedures. On the third and final day of fishing we received a call from a boat which was in the running for the $100,000 first prize that had a Sailfish which was “Bill-wrapped” with the leader. The “leader” is the first 12ft piece of fishing line which must be submitted for inspection after each fish is caught. Failing to submit the leader with the paperwork for each fish results in that fish being disqualified. In this incident the leader had become wrapped around the Sailfish bill and could not be removed without breaking it and being disqualified. The Captain called explaining the situation and that there were numerous other Sailfish around the boat that could not be caught and recorded until this fish was released. The fishing mate was ready to go into the water to swim with the 6ft Sailfish and attempt to retrieve the leader without hurting the fish but this is in violation of IGFA tournament rules. The team also did not want to harm the Sailfish in anyway in forcing a release. The Rules committee quickly met and determined that if a clear shot of the leader wrapped around the bill could be recorded with the digital video the leader could then be cut and the fish would be released unharmed and counted as a caught fish.

The example of “Sportsman Ethics” here is that the Captain could have easily killed that fish after taking video of the catch, retrieved the leader intact, and moved on to other Sailfish around the boat increasing the teams catch total. Instead these sportsman chose to protect the Sailfish and the true ethics of the sport and tournament when they were in a tight race for the $100,000 first prize. The team finished in the top three rankings of the tournament as well as being viewed as “Victors” by the other fishing teams…

A few years back during the Democratic Governor Mark Warner’s term in office he, along with then Democratic Lt. Governor Tim Kaine, raided the fund that was made up by licensing fees paid by Virginia Sportsman. I believe millions of dollars were transferred into the general fund by Warner and Kaine when they claimed Virginia was in danger of not maintaining “essential” services. Like the “Scare” tax pushed thru by Warner and Kaine with the help of some State Senators after 9\11, this transfer of Sportsmen fees was proved not needed and we now have a surplus of funds along with these higher tax rates.

I have not heard if the millions removed from the “Sportsmen fee” fund has ever been returned or if that money has disappeared like I fear the surplus will disappear when we are not looking. Just like if the tax rate will ever be lowered since it has been proven that this increased tax load on the Virginia Citizens was not really needed as claimed by Warner, Kaine, and some of our State Senators…

Sportsmen “Ethics” would not allow the abuse of a population by a higher and not warranted demand placed on that species.

Unfortunately Government “Ethics” do not seem to follow the same higher level by reducing the tax rate and allowing the Citizens of Virginia to keep more of what they earn. By allowing the people of Virginia to invest their earned money as they see fit and to their benefit.

I believe we need a State Senator like Scott Sayre who understands both “Sportsmen” and “Government” ethics and applies them to the benefit of the hard working Citizens of Virginia…

Missed it by 9,988...

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OBAMA: "In case you missed it, this week, this week there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died, an entire town destroyed!"

The most interesting thing about Obama saying that 10,000 people died when an entire town was destroyed is that some of the nimrods in the audience are nodding in agreement.

Fort Dix N.J. In our backyard....

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"Federal authorities have arrested six men identified as "radical Islamists" and accused them of plotting to "kill as many American soldiers as possible" in an attack on the Fort Dix Army base in New Jersey."

Called a friend who is a Sgt. and is presently serving at Fort Dix to find out what happened and what the story is with this. He advised me that Dix was in a somewhat lockdown but they were ready and already had defensive procedures in effect to counter a attack as described above.

The problem is that the general public has forgotten that there are people like these "Radical Islamist" out there and looking for additional ways to attack us when possible. The fear is that it will take an actual attack like the one planned here to wake the public up again to the threats against us.

The complaint also said that Shain Duka said Tatar wanted to join the U.S. Army "so he could kill U.S. soldiers from the inside" and that when CW-2 asked about Tatar again, Dritan Duka said: "He had only one mind, how to kill American soldiers" and that "rather than waging jihad overseas, they could do so in the United States."

The media coverage is out there if you look in the correct places but have you noticed the lack of coverage in many local formats? Even looking at the lack of coverage in the local blogs is evident. I am sure that it would be focused on more if it was a local military base but the list of potential targets to these terrorist was long and spread out.

Eljvir Duka, according to the complaint, was recorded as saying: "At the end, when it comes to defending your religion, when someone is trying attacks your religion, your way of life, then you go jihad."

This terrorist plot was discovered a year back when the terrorist took a VHS tape of themselves shooting assault weapons in a military fashion to have it copied to DVD format. A person working at the retail location was thinking and contacted the FBI and that is what started the investigation. The question is will the ACLU be out there right away claiming the terrorist rights were violated by the person reporting the VHS tape to the authorities?

Looks like Al-Qaeda's Zawahiri got their message...

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Looks like the message sent by the leaders of the Democratic Party has reached yet another supporter of an immediate withdrawl of the troops from Iraq. Zawahiri claims that a withdrawl would "deprive" them from destroying the American forces but yet later in his statement he seems upset with the U.S. led surge. If the surge is not working why would he be so upset to see this opportunity to destroy some more American forces?

It's because the surge is working and gaining momentum that has Zawahiri upset.

"Al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has mocked a US congressional bill that sets out at timetable for US troops to leave Iraq.

He called the bill evidence of US failure and frustration and said it would "deprive us of the opportunity to destroy the American forces".

Egyptian-born Zawahiri made the comments in a 67-minute-long video message posted on Islamist websites.

US President George W Bush vetoed the congressional bill on Thursday.

"We ask Allah that they only get out after losing 200,000 to 300,000 killed, so that we give the blood spillers in Washington and Europe an unforgettable lesson," Zawahiri said in the video message.

He also scorned the US-led security surge in Iraq, urging Mr Bush to meet him in a cafeteria in the Iraqi parliament where a legislator died in a suicide bomb attack last month.

It is the fifth apparent audio or video message from Osama Bin Laden's number two this year."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6630421.stm

Pelosi and Party send their message...

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“So far, none [American Servicemen] have died while riding in the new MRAP (mine-resistant, ambush-protected) vehicle. And not a single Marine has been injured, let alone killed, in an IED attack while riding in one.”

As reported in the IBD this past week…
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=262998279944829

“The Pentagon says the improved carriers have cut roadside bomb casualties in Iraq by as much as two-thirds. But there are only 1,100 of them on the battlefront now. "We need the MRAP immediately to give us better protection," asserted Gen. Peter Schoomaker, former Army chief of staff, in recent testimony before Congress.”

Now here is the “Message” that needs to be looked at…

“Problem is, a large chunk of the $8 billion earmarked for their purchase is tied up in squabbling over funding for the Iraq War. Democrats are holding funds hostage to a timetable for withdrawal.”

The Democratic Party recently sent the President, and the American people, a message in the form of a military spending bill attached with a timeline for troop with drawl. This bill was delayed while Pelosi an Reid trolled large “Pork riden” promises to congress people looking to get their votes in favor of the “Democratic Message”. Along with an enormous amount of Pork spending projects, no surprise there, this required spending bill to support the troops in the field also had a timeline for withdrawl incorporated in it…

This tactic has been called the “Murtha Slow-Bleed” technique and something the Democratic Party has become very proud of. Before sending up the bill for the President to sign Big Daddy Harry Reid and Speaker Pelosi commented this would force the President to respond to their demands of troop withdrawl and the “Will” of the American people.

As promised by the President he vetoed it in a heartbeat. Did it with a $2 dollar felt tip pen given to him by a American Father who lost his son in the war on terrorism and requested the President send a message back to the Democratic party by using the pen he had written letters to his lost son.

Upon the immediate veto by the President and “Pelosi’s” house not being able to buy off more votes with Pork projects to override the veto, the Democrats now claim they will now come back with “Benchmarks” instead of a timeline in their attempt to end this war and follow the “Will” of the American people as they claim…

If it truly is the “Will” of the American people to withdrawl the Troops before the job is done and the Iraqi government is ready to defend itself from terrorist and surrounding unfriendly countries, why was there NO public uproar when the President vetoed this bill? Somehow the claims of the Democratic Party, Harry Reid , Pelosi, and Big boy Murtha, may not be the true “Will” of the American People. In fact the claim that the American people want the Troops out immediately is just the Dem’s Political “Will”… As far as the claim that the American people want the troops removed before the job is done and Iraq is stable can be summed up with a well known phrase… “That Dog just don’t Hunt”…

Reid and Pelosi both delayed getting this military spending bill to the President by wasting time looking for votes in Congress by promising big “Pork” projects and waiting to submit it on the anniversary date of “Mission Accomplished”. They are also dragging their feet in getting another spending bill to the President that he can sign to keep the Troop’s who are in harms way supplied, trained, and continuing the fight on terrorism. It seems that the Democratic Party is taking it’s time in formulating a new “Message” that will provide “Benchmarks” for the Iraqi government to meet. Unfortunately this will be only another delay in getting the support needed to the troops while the Democratic Party looks for the “Political Traction” that their last bill did not provide…

“In the meantime, why aren't they helping the Pentagon fund R&D to design an even better carrier to protect against the enemy's latest weapon — the EFP, or explosively formed projectile? EFPs are extremely lethal. They hurl a fist-sized lump of molten copper capable of piercing even the MRAP.”

What will be the “Message” sent when a single or numerous American servicemen are killed in action defending their country without the advanced and available equipment due to the delay in waiting for the next “Democratic Party message”?

Lee Godfrey moving in with Moveon.org?

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General Grievous Dog brought up some good points that the Staunton NewsLeader failed to report in their announcement of Lee Godfrey running for Supervisor of Augusta County... Now with it not being a big surprise that the NewsLeader chose not to report the whole story, we are fortunate that there is a "BlogWorld" out there to get the information out that the local media decided not to provide...

The Dog reports that Lee Godfrey is the local organizer for the radical Left-wing group "MoveOn.org" which is the same group that ran an ad comparing and associating George Bush with Hitler in the last election. This is not the only questionable and cheap tactic used by MoveOn.org and it is interesting to see that the NewsLeader chose to ignore this fact and Godfrey's association with this group...

http://generalgrievousdog.blogspot.com/2007/05/what-staunton-news-leader-did-not-tell.html