USS Obama and HMS Gordon Brown explained.

I received this today from a workmate. I don't know who wrote it, but it's worth posting:

The USS Obama

Seeing it next to the Arizona Memorial really puts its size into perspective... ENORMOUS!

BEAUTIFUL!

When the Bridge pipes 'Man the Rail' there is a lot of rail to man on this monster: shoulder to shoulder, around 45 acres. Her displacement is about 100,000 tons with full complement.



Capability

Top speed exceeds 30 knots, powered by two nuclear reactors that can operate for more than 20 years without refuelling

1. Expected to operate in the fleet for about 50 years
2 Carries over 80 combat aircraft
3. Three arresting cables can stop a 28 - ton aircraft going 150 miles per hour in less than 400 feet

Size
1. Towers 20 stories above the waterline
2. 1092 feet long; nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall
3. Flight deck covers 4.5 acres
4. 4 bronze propellers, each 21 feet across, weighing 66,200 pounds
5. 2 rudders, each 29 by 22 feet and weighing 50 tons
6. 4 high speed aircraft elevators, each over 4,000 sq ft capacity
7. Home to about 6,000 Navy personnel
8. Carries enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days
9. 18,150 meals served daily
10. Distillation plants provide 400,000 gallons of fresh water from sea water daily, enough for 2,000 homes
11. Nearly 30,000 light fixtures and 1,325 miles of cable and wiring 1,400 telephones
12. 14,000 pillowcases and 28,000 sheets
13. Costs the Navy approximately $250,000 per day for pier side operation
14. Costs the Navy approximately $25 million per day for underway operations.

The HMS GORDON BROWN

Headed for Newcastle , the British Navy welcomed the latest member of its fleet today. The HMS Gordon Brown set sail today from its home port of Skegness .

The ship is the first of its kind in the Navy and is a standing legacy to Prime Minister Brown for his foresight in military budget cuts and his conduct while Prime Minister.

The ship is constructed nearly entirely from recycled aluminium cans and is completely solar powered with a top speed of 5 knots. It boasts an arsenal comprised of one (unarmed) (ex US Navy) F14 Tomcat or one (unarmed) (ex USAF) F18 Hornet aircraft which, although they cannot be launched or captured on the 100 foot flight deck, form a very menacing presence.

As a standing order there are no firearms allowed on board.

The 20 person crew is completely diversified, including members of all races, creeds, sex, and sexual orientation.
The crew, hand-picked from the Civil Service, is specially trained to avoid conflicts and appease any and all enemies of Britain at all costs!

An on - board Type One DNC Universal Translator can send out messages of apology in any language to anyone who may find Britain offensive. The number of apologies are limitless and though some may seem hollow and disingenuous, the Navy advises all apologies will sound very sincere.

The ship's purpose is not defined so much as a unit of national defence, but instead in times of conflict, the HMS Gordon Brown has orders to seek refuge in Blackpool . The ship may be positioned near the Labour Party Headquarters for photo - ops.

We Should be very proud.........

Video: The day Obama Care Died - Obama on vocals.

This is excellent, the day Obamacare died:



Hat Tip to the Great Theo Spark

I'm not saying I agree with the sentiment, but I do admire the skill involved in producing this video.

Gordon Brown is to visit Obama - Oh dear.

Gordon Brown is to visit Obama, oh dear, that's a shame, Barack's career was going so well. I guess Gordon popped in to see the Pope this week to make sure they weren't double booked again.

From Sky:

The Prime Minister will visit the White House on March 6 to discuss the "common global challenges" faced by Britain and America.

These will include the situation in Afghanistan and the global financial crisis, a Downing Street spokesman said.

The announcement suggests Mr Brown has won the race to become the first European leader to visit the new President in Washington.

A White House statement said the two nations "share a special partnership, and the President looks forward to working closely with the Prime Minister to address common global challenges."

Full story.

Batman (Val Kilmer) for Governor of Gotham City (New Mexico).

From USA Today:

First came the Terminator. Is Batman next?

Actor Val Kilmer may be the next action star-turned-governor, the Associated Press reports. Though he hasn't made an official decision, Kilmer, a New Mexico resident for more than two decades, told the AP that he's looking for ways to be "contributive" in the southwestern state.

"If that ends up being where I can make a substantial contribution, then I'll run," the registered Democrat said, who would replace Gov. Bill Richardson if elected. Richardson is term limited and can't run for reelection.

Holy bill of rights, Batman! (actually said by Robin in the TV show).

(p.s did you notice the made up American word? .... Contributive)

David Miliband is a complete and utter liar - US Threat.

This sounds like a very definite threat to me:

"Public disclosure of these documents... is likely to result in serious damage to US national security and could harm existing intelligence information-sharing arrangements between our two governments."

Miliband can be seen HERE denying that any threat was received from the US.

C4 have managed to get hold of three letters sent between the UK/US. Correspondence which "affirms in the clearest terms" the nature of the risk and threat to the Anglo American special relationship. You can download them HERE.

Irwin Stelzer - Gordon Brown, stop blaming America!

From Irwin Stelzer in Telegraph:

Enough! It's time to put an end to Gordon Brown's ridiculous blame game. As the Prime Minister tells it, Britain's woes started in America. Like some strain of flu, America's problems found their way across the ocean to London, and from there to the rest of the British economy. Cheers from the Left, eager to rubbish America and to resurrect their leader's reputation.

Unfortunately for Mr Brown, neither his claim – he told Parliament yesterday, "Not only have we saved the world", modestly eschewing the "I" word – nor his Macavity act can survive scrutiny. It is beyond question that Britain's problems stem in part from its fractured regulatory system, with responsibility split between the Bank of England, the Financial Services Authority, and the Treasury. A close study of the relevant documents fails to reveal that this system was forced upon Brown by the US authorities. No, it sprang full blown from the brains of Chancellor Gordon Brown and his sidekick, Ed Balls.

Please do read the full article by clicking HERE.

If you are wondering who Irwin Stelzer is, click HERE. You will find that he may know what he's talking about.

Barack Obama favourite to win 2012 US Elections.

From William Hills:

OBAMA EVENS FAVOURITE TO WIN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION - IN 2012!

WITH Barack Obama now a red hot 1/9 favourite to beat 5/1 shot John McCain in the current US Presidential race, William Hill have installed Obama as Even money favourite to win in 2012, with Hillary Clinton 7/1 second favourite; John McCain and Mitt Romney both 8/1 - and Sarah Palin 12/1.

'Obama is such a hot favourite at the moment that we are offering punters the chance to gamble that he will be in pole position to win in 2012' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.'There is £10million niding on the outcome of this Presidential race - a record betting turnover douling that of 2006'

Hills have opened a book on how many Electoral College votes the two candidates will get in the current election and offer 6/4 that Obama will secure 370 or more; 5/1 269 or less; McCain is 6/4 for 170 or less and 5/1 271 or more.

Hills are betting on a number of individual States and bet:
Colorado: 1/8 Dems; 9/2 Rep
Florida 1/3 Dem; 9/4 Rep
Indiana Eves Dem ; 8/11 Rep
Missouri; 4/7 Dem 5/4 Rep
New Hants 1/7 Dem; 4/1 Rep
North Carolina 4/9 Dem; 13/8 Rep

Barack Obama - Odds-on favourite for White House.

From William Hill:

BARACK Obama is now 1/ 2 favourite to win the race to the White House with William Hill who make John McCain 6/4.

Hills make Hillary Clinton 5/2 favourite to be Obama's running mate and also offer 3/1 Jim Webb; 7/2 K.Sebelius; 8/1 Ted Strickland; 9 Bill Richards; 10 John Edwards.

Hills make Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty 5/1 joint favourites to be his running mate and also offer 6 Bobby Jindal; 8 Mike Huckabee; Charlie Crist; 9 Lindsey Graham; Tom Ridge.

Next VP: 4/1 Clinton (H); 5 Webb; 11/2 Sebelius; 12 Romney; Strickland; Pawlenty; 14 Jindal; Richardson.

The West has stopped laughing at Russian sabre rattling.

I grew up, not so much with the fear, but definitely the understanding that Russia was a major power capable taking on the West. In fact, because of the media coverage at the time, I always felt that she was itching to do just that. The threat of nuclear war is thankfully something my children have not had to grow up with. However, that could all change unless Bush and Putin can find a compromise over America's proposed missile defence shield.

Why the sudden change? Well for one thing, Russia is no longer the sad shadow of a once mighty country it became after the fall of the Soviet Union. She has found new wealth in the form of oil and gas, and under Putin she has found domestic stability. Always a proud nation, Russia must have found the last couple of decades hard to swallow. Now Russia is in a position to assert herself, should she wish, as a super-power once more. Putin sees the locating of the proposed missile defence shield in Europe (Poland and the Czech Republic) to be a threat, but I think more importantly, an insult to his nation. During the cold war, the US treated the Soviet Union with a great deal more respect. Speaking on national television, Putin said:

"It is already clear that a new phase in the arms race is unfolding in the world. "It is not our fault, because we did not start it. "There are many discussions on these (missile defence shields), but... we have still not seen any real steps towards finding a compromise. "In effect, we are forced to retaliate, to take corresponding decisions. Russia has, and always will have, responses to these new challenges."

It's clear that the bad relations developing between the West and Russia are only going to intensify if Putin's concerns cannot be appeased. When my children think of Russia, they think of snow, fur hats and dolls - I pray to God it stays that way.

CIA Claim interrogation tapes were destroyed for security reasons.

A story from coming out of America today is does not show the CIA in a favourable light. In 2002 the CIA began video recording the interrogation of terror suspects. They only recorded two interrogations, those of Abu Zubaydah and Ramzi Binalshibh. Zubaydah, under harsh questioning, told CIA interrogators about alleged 9/11 accomplice Binalshibh. The CIA started taping the interrogations after President Bush authorised methods such as Waterboarding to extract information. For those who don't know, Waterboarding is used to simulate drowning and some regard it as torture.

Now it seems that those tapes have been destroyed. According to CIA Director Michael Hayden they were destroyed because: "The Agency soon determined that its documentary reporting was full and exacting, removing any need for tapes. Indeed, videotaping stopped in 2002. Also "The tapes posed a serious security risk. Were they ever to leak, they would permit identification of your CIA colleagues who had served in the program, exposing them and their families to retaliation from al Qaeda and its sympathizers."

What do you think?

More HERE.

David Cameron's visit to Washington video - part two

This is part two of David Cameron's visit to Washington. It looks like David had quite a busy day. Drinks with Colin Powell, the man who was born in Harlem in 1937 and made to Secretary of State, must have been interesting.

David Cameron's visit to Washington video - part one

I came across this video on Webcameron, it's not a website that I visit very often, but I'm glad that I did today. I hope you will agree that this is an excellent short film. I'll post the rest of the Washington visit films when they become available.

Gordon Brown's Lord Mayor of London's banquet speech.

Tonight Gordon Brown will address the Lord Mayor of London's banquet.

"I have been reliably informed that he will say: Blah, Blah, Blah, I love America, please don't be nasty to the Yanks Angela, Blah, Blah, Blah. Iran has been naughty so I'm going to make some empty, wishy washy threats, Blah, Blah, Blah."

OK there may not be that many Blahs, but I think you get the idea. The usual vacuous rubbish we have come to expect. When he is not repeating old policy or stealing ideas from the Conservatives, he has nothing to say.