[Arktwo] Gone to the dogs

[Bruce Beach]

Wet Noodle Time

"U.N. unanimously approves Iran sanctions"

http://tinyurl.com/3c3qcc

So they did decide to flog Iran
with a wet noodle.

Iran has now -
another 60 days to comply -
or -
"two wet noodles".

"The new sanctions — already a compromise between the stronger measures
favored by the United States and the Europeans and the softer approach
advocated by Russian and China — are considered modest. The ban on exports
is among the harshest measures, but many of Iran's arms sales may not be
affected because they are illicitly sent to militant groups like Lebanon's
Hezbollah and Shiite militias in Iraq."

"The new resolution calls for voluntary restrictions on travel by the
individuals subject to sanctions ..."

Voluntary !!!
In other words -
"Would you please go in the closet
and flog yourself
with the wet noodle?"
Well, maybe not.

--------------

Just now checked the link -
for the following -
but it doesn't work anymore.
Does that mean
it is no longer true -
and that I shouldn't report it to you?

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The U.S. intelligence community expects Israel to
either preempt or retaliate against any Iranian missile attack.

National Intelligence Director John McConnell said Israel and the United
States were taking the Iranian nuclear threat seriously. McConnell said he
expected Israel to destroy Iran's nuclear installations even without U.S.
support.

In an exchange at the Senate Armed Services Committee on Feb. 27, Sen.
Lindsey Graham asked McConnell regarding the Iranian military threat.
Graham, a South Carolina Democrat, asked McConnell what he would do if he
was Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

"I would react [to Iran] in a way to protect my country," McConnell, a naval
admiral, said.

--------------

China and Russia
may have voted with the US
(and they may have shaped the vote)
in the UN -
but they are not at all happy
with the US.

http://tinyurl.com/2zc58n

US-Russian relations are heading for a potential crisis unless Washington
drops its unilateral approach to foreign policy, a senior Russian lawmaker
has warned.

Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the international affairs committee of the
Russian Duma, says that President Vladimir Putin's strongly-worded speech in
Munich last month criticising US unilateralism was not a declaration of a
new cold war. Instead, it was a call for the White House to return to a
multilateral framework for resolving issues such as the nuclear programmes
of Iran and North Korea, or the future of the breakaway Serbian province of
Kosovo.

China may have done more damage
to the US
this week
with its new monetary reserve policies -
than was done by the UN vote to Iran -
by far -
but that is another story.

--------------

Still -
the US has France
for its friend.

Rafale fighter-bombers on the French carrier’s decks will fly missions over
Afghanistan alongside US warplanes.

Its arrival raises to four the number of Western aircraft carriers cruising
within striking distance of Iran, including the USS Eisenhower and USS
Boxer.

The Charles de Gaulle is accompanied by French Task Force 473, which
consists of five warships: the FNS Cassard guided missile destroyer, the FNS
Tourville anti-submarine frigate, the FNS Dupleix destroyer adapted for
escorting oil tankers and the FNS Marne, a command and supply vessel.
Captain of the French task force is Rear Adm. Xavier Magne. Commander of the
American flotilla is Rear Adm. Kevin Quinn.

And don't think that
didn't shake up Iran.
The next day,
Iran launched a new naval war game
in the Persian Gulf.

--------------

Meanwhile -
back on the North Korean scene -
all seems to be going
about as usual -
with talks currently on hold,
and Carrier Diplomacy taking place there -
also.

"Currently some 29,500 US troops are stationed here to help 680,000 South
Korean forces face up to North Korea's 1.1-million-strong military.

The carrier group's visit to South Korea and involvement in the drills "is a
sign of the depth of commitment on the part of the US to the peace and
security and stability of the Korean peninsula and the region," said Rear
Admiral Charlie Martoglio, commander of the carrier group.

The USS Ronald Reagan commander, Captain Terry Kraft, declined to give
details of the exercises during a visit Wednesday by journalists to the
ship.

But he said his ship will "be exercising a broad range of missions."

I won't tell you -
what the North Koreans said
about that -
"But, who cares."

--------------

Get Out of Dodge Time

Cluck!
Another url that I saved -
but that doesn't work now.
Anyway -

"Several foreign embassies in Teheran are updating their emergency
evacuation plans should a Western or Israeli attack on Iran occur. "

Noted last week
that the Russians were packing up
a couple of thousand technicians
and getting the out of Iran also.

--------------

However,
the British are arriving there -
even if involuntarily.

Big news headline on my Yahoo news
that Iran had captured
15 British sailors and marines.

THEN -
it disappeared and -
not another word.
Lots of info elsewhere -
but not a word in that MSM source.
Instead they had important things
like about doggies dying from their diets -
and some Snoopy Dog
(I always liked Charlie Brown)
not being allowed into the UK.

"Just before the British sailors were seized, UK commanders in Basra accused
Iran of being behind 90% of the violence in S. Iraq and paying out $250 to
anyone willing to attack British troops."

Well, dog-gone.

--------------

Not sure who all is watching this

www.cnes-geipan.fr

but over in France there have been
about four hundred Class D sightings.

--------------

I have no idea what news items are important -
and which ones are not -
there is so much happening in Israel -
in the US politically regarding Bush -
between Turkey and the Kurds -
with Pakistan and Afghanistan -
regarding Syria -
and even South America.
All I can say -
is the world seems astir -
even regarding earthquakes
and other such phenomena.

------------

I once had a great grandmother who said -
"Money seems to be the solution to all problems" -
but in life I have found
that truly it is not.

For the really BIG problems
money won't solve them -
but I thank God
that I don't have any problems like that.
Good marriage, good kids, good health,
and all that -
so I am greatly blessed.

I over exaggerate about my catastrophes.
During the last month -
when the snow was up to my hips -
so we couldn't get into the shelter -
the vehicles weren't working -
both generators were down -
so that we were in the dark -
there were indeed times when I would say -
that I hoped the next day
would be a brighter day.

The mechanic didn't show today -
but we were supposed to spark the CAT generator -
which we haven't had working for eight years,
but then both will hopefully be working again.
The CAT itself is now purring like a kitten,
and the 75KW Perkins backup is doing a great job.

Helpers are coming tomorrow -
to move another truckload into the shelter -
and a neighbor came over this morning
to make sure the diesel truck was operating.
We also made sure that the big storage batteries
were topped up.

I always have 'next' priorities for Ark Two.
After getting the CAT going -
the next big thing we need is
a backup grinding pump
for the septic holding tank.
That is the recognized weakest point
in the shelter system,
although we have two back-ups,
for the septic system itself.

The present restraining system
in the shelter functioning plan
is the septic holding tank
that pumps up to septic tank itself.
Whenever the holding tank gets full -
then we have to turn on a generator
and pump it out.
If that pump should fail -
we don't have a back-up for it.

Money does always seem to be a problem.
I expected the end of the world in 2000
and budgeted to get to that point.
Every month since then has been a miracle.

Now,
300,000 dollars in debt -
and interest costing us 3,000 dollar a month.
This will be the first month
that we can't make the interest payments -
and of course this concerns my wife no-end,
since we have mortgaged the house and everything
to build Ark Two.

Everyone is convinced
that I am crazy -
and I wonder myself -
but one has to live life full out
as they see it.

In 2000 we had 42 buses in place -
and the Ark Two shelter was as described
on the Internet.
Since then -
we have made many great advances
in the shelter, system and organization.

People ask me when we will be finished -
and ready.
Well, actually,
we were ready in 1980
with four buses,
but one can always do more.

We are at the highest level of preparation
that we have ever been at.
In fact -
we are way into what I called
our launch program -
a couple of years back.
The launch program was what
we expected to do AFTER
the bombs started falling.

I have had a major paradigm shift -
in the last few weeks.
I had expected it to all happen suddenly -
without any warning.
I had never expected the build-up
to take place in the way that it is now.

This is quite beneficial to us.
We are getting more and more help -
and more and more done.
In this last year
we got a turn-around basin
for the semi-trucks -
a much, much better entrance
into their parking field -
a new gate-house,
4 new gates -
a new improved garden area with fencing -
a water truck -
and a number of substantial improvements
on the shelter itself.

All well and good -
but there is always so much more -
that one could do.
Project 3000 is proceeding on along -
and some of the editors
are getting a real handle on it.

When I think of what we have done
in that area
in the last couple of years
with Projects 1000 and 2000
and "The Paper" -
I am truly astounded.
There are people out there -
that do help -
and I am so fortunate to know you,
and am greatly appreciative for what you do.

By the way -
if you would like to see a current picture
of the old man -
here is one with Chyna,
who my wife is training
to work with autistic children.

www.webpal.org/chyna.jpg

And speaking of dogs -
as I have been throughout -
sometimes a dog's advice
is well taken.

www.webpal.org/dog.jpg

Peace and love,
Bruce
DawnSayer@webpal.org