Overnight Open Thread (3 May 2013)

Whew. It's Friday. Grab a drink, depants and hop on in to the ONT.

And please, if you are a beer drinker, you should really double up on your rations as the current beer crisis could trigger the next Ice Age.

Bravo Zulu

Now this is the American spirit. Army amputee completes grueling air assault school. Meanwhile, 14 million Americans are claiming disabilities so they can draw some sweet Uncle Sugar cash and stay home instead of work. Some of these people should be ashamed of what they claim as a disability.

Who's On First?

Our enemies love this shiite. Back in September of last year, Obama said that "no leader ties his hands" with "set conditions" and Panetta went even further:

US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta dismissed Netanyahu’s engagement of Obama on the issue of preemption, saying, “The fact is [that] presidents of the United States, prime ministers of Israel or any other country – leaders of these countries don’t have, you know, a bunch of little red lines that determine their decisions.”

It would be deeply inconvenient for the president of the United States to have to go to war in Syria when he placidly assures the American public that the tide of war is receding. U.S. intervention grows even more inconvenient since our unwillingness to help the rebels has led them to take help from quarters we disapprove of -- are we to fight alongside the al Nusra front, which we (rightly) characterize as a terrorist organization with al Qaeda links?

It is a problem of the president's own making, of course: He took a strident stand that any chemical weapons use would be a "game changer" precipitating American military involvement. This president likes to look tough on the international scene -- even when he's leading from behind he's taking all the credit. So we have policies designed to showcase Obama as a commanding commander in chief. In order to keep him from having to make good on his threats, the administration has taken to relying on intelligence assessments as his opt-out.

The Syria evasion is of a piece with Obama administration deflections of other intelligence conclusions that would force a change to their policies: Iran and North Korea.

All talk, no bite and more about Obama's own personal political interest than what is in America's best interest. No one likes an undependable ally. Gee, I wonder what happened to all the lefties who raged against politicizing intelligence assessments?

Jihadi Padawan

Ooops.

Honey Trap Prevention

Hmmm. Do you suffer from doing stupid things in the presence of a beautiful woman? Well, a simple antibiotic may protect men from being too trusting of women.
Image source.

Catwoman Plays Piano

Sequestration

What sequestration? DoD signs contract for $59 a gallon jet fuel. Even though this contract costs only $215,350 with the potential to take on an additional $737K, it is still something that should be put on hold with sequestration ongoing, especially when JP-8 costs $3.73 a gallon.

The Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower

This weekend, some of you will get a chance to see the Eta Aquarid Meteor shower. Best time seems to be in the pre-dawn hours from 4-7 May.

Puppehs Video

Tonight's ONT brought to you by empirical research:

Notice: Posted by permission of AceCorp LLC. Please e-mail overnight open thread tips to maet or CDR M. Otherwise send tips to Ace.

posted by CDR M at 09:34 PM

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