Flags at Half-Staff in Minnesota

Driving home through central Minnesota this evening, I noticed several flags flying at half-staff. Those folks were going an extra mile, honoring Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon:

"Governor Dayton orders flags flown at half-staff in honor of Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon"
Press release, Office of the Governor Mark Dayton, State of Minnesota (August 26, 2011)

"In honor and remembrance of Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon, Governor Mark Dayton has ordered all U.S. flags and Minnesota flags to be flown at half-staff at all state and federal buildings in the State of Minnesota, from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, August 27, 2011.

"Sergeant Harmon, of Lengby, was twenty-nine years old, and a 2000 graduate of Fosston High School. He enlisted in the United States Army in 2004. Stationed in Germany, Sergeant Harmon completed two tours of duty in Iraq and was recently deployed to Afghanistan as a member of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade. He died a hero on Sunday, August 14, 2011 in Afghanistan.

"At the direction of the Governor, Minnesota flies it's flags at half-staff following the death of Minnesota military personnel killed in the line of duty, on the day of interment."

I've archived a copy of the Minnesota Governor's proclamation regarding Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon (*.pdf) (August 25, 2011)

My condolences to family and friends of Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon.

Related posts:

• "Michael Jackson and 1st Lieutenant Brian N. Bradshaw: One's News, the Other's Not"
  (July 7, 2009)
• "Bruce Maloy, Thank You"
  (March 13, 2009)
• "A Bank Robbery in Texas, Donald Murrah and David Long"
  (March 12, 2009)
• "Navy Petty Officer Mike Monsoor and the Trident Hoax"
  (March 11, 2009)
• Lieutenant Michael Murphy, U.S. Seal:
  "The World Needs Heroes -"
  (October 22, 2007)

In the news:

• "Governor Dayton orders flags flown at half-staff in honor of Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon"
  Press release, Office of the Governor Mark Dayton, State of Minnesota (August 26, 2011)
• Minnesota Governor's proclamation regarding Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon
  (August 25, 2011)

More:

• "Individuals and the War on Terror"

Dog Tags for Kids: That's One Good Idea

War is tough on families, when a parent is overseas. Code Pink notwithstanding, there's not a realistic alternative to what America and other countries are doing to keep terrorists from killing us: but there is something that individuals can do, to help the families of America's military.

Dog Tags for Kids - Grassroots Support for American Military Families

"Charity gives engraved dog tags to kids"
MyFoxOrlando (December 25, 2008)

"LANCASTER, Calif. (WOFL FOX 35, Orlando) -- A California nonprofit is on a mission to send unique presents to children whose parents are serving in the world's most dangerous war zones.

"Rose Sliepka has no children of her own, but said she was compelled to make a gift for thousands of kids when she heard about a soldier who wanted to send his children a gift from Iraq.

" 'The only thing inside were some band-aids and sunscreen,' Sliepka said. 'That's all he had access to.'

"Sliepka, who owns an engraving shop, quickly focused on dog tags as something that was meaningful for military families and affordable for her to make...."

The dog tags cost 50 cents each.

Just the same, with 400,000 given out so far, it takes more than pocket change to keep Dog Tags for Kids running. The organization depends on donations to keep helping military families.

Dog Tags for Kids - From a Parent Overseas to a Child at Home

"100% of Your Donation Delivers Smiles"

"Help us send dog tags to troops in Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan so they can send them to their kids back home!

"We desperately need everyone's help. Please see our Donation Page for more information. Thank you!

"This is a grassroots effort to show our support for the troops and their families. We tried to think of something we could send Dad or Mom that...."

"Letters and Quotes"

"...We have a ton of soldiers here, who come into our police station and see the 'LOVE DAD' dog tags. We give them out like candy and the soldiers always come back and tell us the praises they get from thier families about the dog tags...'How neat it is', 'What a good idea, who thought of it?', 'The kids take them to school and show as show and tell'....stuff like that. A couple of our soldiers have got them from you guys and they run out real fast....."

Dog Tags for Kids shows a sample of the dog tags "in Appropriate Service Colors" - DTfK used to give Photo Tags, too, but got swamped by the demand.

There's a donations page, where a person has a couple of options for supporting the program.

Individuals Make a Difference

Hats off to Rose Sliepka, one woman with a good idea and a lot of grassroots support.

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

Melissa Stockwell: Representing America, Again

In an MTV News article, Melissa Stockwell says that she's represented American before, in uniform as an Army lieutenant. She's representing America again, in the 2008 Paralympic Games.

Three things jumped out at me when I heard what Melissa Stockwell had to say, and read up on her.

1. Swimming requires upper body strength - you don't need two legs to swim well
2. She's from Minneapolis, Minnesota
3. She sees her tour of duty in Iraq as representing America

I like her attitude. It's not the only way someone could approach losing a leg.

Strong Arms, Swimming, and Good Sense

A young man I ran into at college, a few decades back, had hurt a leg in a motorcycle accident. He was rather tightly focused on how disgustingly bad his condition was.

That young man had it rough. He was born with functional legs, and had to adjust to working with defective equipment. Happily, I was born with gimpy hips. That gave me opportunities to give my arms and shoulders a workout, when most people are learning to crawl.

Which explains why I understand about swimming and upper body strength. Swimming was the only part of physical education where I got good grades.

Back to Melissa Stockwell. With about 1¼ legs and a prosthetic, she's not going to be running the Boston Marathon: not very well, anyway. On the other hand, compared to the way most of us thrash around, she's a very good swimmer.

A Minnesotan, Don't 'Cha Know

Melissa Stockwell and her husband live in Chicago now, but she came from Minneapolis, Minnesota. That's the state where I live, and I rather like to see a fellow-Minnesotan do well.

Representing America

Melissa Stockwell said that when she wore an American Army uniform in Iraq, she was representing America: and that she was representing America again, by participating in the Beijing Paralympics.

I get the impression that traditional news media, with their preoccupation with body counts, ruined lives, and alleged atrocities, often misses an important point. A country's armed forces represent that country, as a forceful diplomatic tool.

The American armed forces were rather rough on parts of Iraq when the coalition removed Saddam Hussein from power, and later when the Surge made it possible for the new Iraqi government to start sorting itself out.

That got quite thorough coverage. The American military's undoing decades of neglect in Iraq's infrastructure, not so much.

That reticence may be understandable. It's hard to imagine a journalist getting a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on some boring project, like repairing a sewage plant. It's exciting stuff, like a horribly unforgivable atrocity or an 8-year-old heroin addict, that gets attention and gets the prize. Besides, My Lai's Seymour Hersh and Jimmy's Janet Cooke were educating the public about relevant social issues: not reporting boring facts about the American military.

On the other hand, John Burns, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, learned that journalists don't get much attention when they let facts get in the way of a story ("Top Newspaper's Journalists Praised: Blackout Imposed on Praise" (October 15, 2007)).

I've wondered how much American war coverage over the last 40 years has been affected by journalists' choosing between going with the flow and getting adulation, or reporting unwanted facts and getting ignored.

I hope - and think - that there are many Melissa Stockwells out there, representing the America I know: an imperfect country that offers its citizens freedom and opportunity.

More:

• "Wounded Iraq Veteran To Represent U.S. In Paralympics"
  MTV News (August 25, 2008)
  (Includes video (3:10))
• "Melissa Stockwell"
  U.S. Paralympic Team
• "Wounded Vet Again Tackles Basic Training"
  Washington Post (March 21, 2008)
• "Melissa Stockwell"
  Wounded Warrior Project
• "Air War Strategy Preserved Iraqi Infrastructure, Lives"
  U.S. Department of Defense (April 10, 2006)

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

Michael Anthony Monsoor: Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

Michael Anthony Monsoor died in 2006, after using his body as a shield to protect his fellow-SEALs. Today, his parents received the Congressional Medal of Honor on his behalf, at the White House.

Two excerpts from the White House press release stood out for me:

"He earned their confidence with his attention to detail and quiet work ethic. One of Mike's officers remembers an instructor once asking after an intense training session, 'What's the deal with the Monsoor guy? He just says, "Roger that," to everything.' "

"Perhaps the greatest tribute to Mike's life is the way different service members all across the world responded to his death. Army soldiers in Ramadi hosted a memorial service for the valiant man who had fought beside them. Iraqi Army scouts -- whom Mike helped train -- lowered their flag, and sent it to his parents. Nearly every SEAL on the West Coast turned out for Mike's funeral in California. As the SEALs filed past the casket, they removed their golden tridents from their uniforms, pressed them onto the walls of the coffin. The procession went on nearly half an hour. And when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten."

I also appreciated reading that Michael A. Monsoor died on Saint Michael's Feast Day, September 29. A Catholic like me appreciates details like that. I pray that Michael Anthony Monsoor had a happy death, as he assuredly avoided the straw death that my Nordic ancestors feared.

The White House press release includes a video (14:29) of the presentation ceremony.

"Navy SEAL paid ultimate price to save buddies" CNN (April 8, 2008), does a pretty good job of covering the event, and includes a link to a video of Michael's sister talking about her memories.

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

An Airman and a Screech Owl

And now, something quite different.

"The Week in Pictures - 6"

"Airman Jacob Larsen, holds 'Fod,' a screech owl discovered in the wheel well of an F/A 18 Hornet fighter on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, at sea in the Persian Gulf. ..."

It may be my imagination, but Fod seems a little shocked.

'Crippled' Marine Marches Back to Iraq: Wants to Help

It's hard to keep a good Marine down, apparently.

Gunnery Sergeant William "Spanky" Gibson lost most of his left leg in May, 2006. He was on foot patrol in Ramadi, Iraq.

He could have gotten a desk job, back in America. But he didn't. Sergeant Gibson is back in Iraq, his second tour, on active duty with his fellow-Marines.

Getting back on his feet, with an assortment of artificial legs for different functions, took work and determination.

"I realized, well, it ain't growing back, so let's start recovering," Sergeant Gibson said. "Initially, I didn't allow it to affect me to the point of despair ... Now, I roll over and look at my wife and say, this kind of sucks. But you get over it quickly."

Two months after he was shot, Gunnery Sergeant Gibson was back at Camp Lejeune. While training there, he decided that he needed to go back to Iraq. "It's in part to show appreciation to my fallen Marines and also to tell the people of this country that ... I'm back to help you in any way I can, again."

Today's Iraq isn't the country he left, almost two years ago.

"The country itself, it's changed tremendously," he said. "I don't know if I ever thought I'd see it, but I hoped that our actions here ... would allow that change to happen, and now seeing it, it's amazing."

He looks at what's happening in Iraq as the rebirth of a country. "This is where we were 232 years ago as a new nation," he said. "Now they're starting a new nation, and that's one of my big reasons for coming back here. It wasn't for other Marines to look at me and say, 'Oh wow, you're a tough guy.' "

Hats off to Gunnery Sergeant Gibson, and all the other soldiers and technicians who are helping Iraqis put their country back together after decades of a tyrant's mismanagement: And helping keep America safe.

---

Quotes from "Iraq War Marine With Amputated Leg Back in Active Duty" FOXNews (February 28, 2008)

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

Common Sense Knows No Boundaries: Neither does Bureaucratic Vindictiveness

This post does not relate directly to the War on Terror. It is, however, a tribute to common sense and individual responsibility.

---

"The Man Who Saved the World by Doing Nothing"

The remarkable tale of Stanislav Petrov. If you're alive, you probably have Mr. Petrov to thank.

Without his common sense and willingness to think, back in 1983, the Soviet Union might have launched a 'counter-attack' to an American nuclear strike that never happened.

The Soviets had recently shot down Korean Air Flight 007, killing hundreds of people, including an American congressman. Soviet leadership seems to have thought that America would launch a nuclear attack as a result. Psychologists call that sort of thing "projection."

And yes, the account of Stanislav Petrov's good sense, and the price he paid for saving the world, seems to be true.

---

I contrasted Soviet and American responses in "Six Years Ago, Tomorrow: Remembering 9/11" (September 10, 2007). People who honestly believe that America is an imperialistic, militaristic, warmonger oppressor with no regard for human life might benefit from comparing the fates of Korea Air Flights 007 and 85.

Individuals Count: See the Snyders

I've posted a few times about Albert Snyder. He's the father of Lance Corporal Matthew A. Snyder, who died in a Humvee rollover in Iraq.

He's also the man who is trying to stop the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, from defaming more soldiers, and intentionally inflicting harm on grieving families.

The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), which has no connection to any Baptist association, apart from the name, is under the impression that God hates America (it's one of their slogans) because America tolerates homosexuality. And that's making their beliefs sound as sensible as possible.

After the WBC started harassing mourners, some states and the American federal government passed laws that help control 'demonstrations' at funerals.

Albert Snyder has taken efforts to control WBC's outrageous behavior to the grassroots level. He sued the WBC and won a judgment against the WBC's leader yesterday.

The WBC says it's appealing that decision. No surprises there.

Two points here.

1. Mr. Snyder is struggling in what I believe is a good cause, and he needs help
   The law firm that's representing him isn't charging fees, but Mr. Snyder has to pay for the research, getting papers, that sort of thing.
   He's been getting some financial support, but as of this morning, he's around $50,000 (USD) short. And, he's not in the class where that's petty cash. Albert Snyder's website, www.matthewsnyder.org, spells out how you can help.
2. Individuals make a difference sometimes - and this is one of those times.
   Lance Corporal Matthew A. Snyder died while helping America get Iraq on its feet: A job that I think makes America (and all countries that don't have the bin Laden / Mullah Mohammed Omar seal of approval) safer. If he hadn't been there, part of that job wouldn't have gotten done.
   Albert Snyder is trying to slow down a group that's dedicated to breaking the morale of American soldiers and their families. He may encourage other individuals to resist lunatic ravings. So far, Mr. Snyder has succeeded in diverting WBC's resources from their usual activities: quite likely saving the family of some fallen soldier a great deal of grief.
   Even Fred Phelps, WBC's leader, is making a difference, albeit a negative one. His twisted mutant clone of Christian beliefs is hurting the targets of his hate-pickets, and seems to be keeping his followers in a state of rage: and that isn't healthy.

Why bother?

I'm not against free speech. But the WBC has, in my opinion, gone far beyond expressing their opinions. Their "God Hates America" demonstrations seem to be dancing on, or beyond, the edge of trying to damage the morale of American soldiers and their families.

And that's something I don't think is right.

Related posts, on tolerance, bigotry, racism, and hatred.
Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

Individuals and the War on Terror

Although I acknowledge the importance of vast socio-economic forces and other metacauses, I also think that individuals make a difference. In the War on Terror, some people stand out.

• President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran
• American Armed Forces
• American Civilians
• Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan
• The Holy Father
• Iraqi Leaders
• Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
• Osama bin Laden, from Saudi Arabia
• Stanislav Petrov, the man who saved the world
  (From 1983: before 9/11, a tale of one man's common sense and willingness to think.)

---

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran

• "Ahmadinejad Wants America to Apologize: This is News?"
  (January 28, 2009)
• "Barack Obama's Presidency: History Being Made"
  (November 6, 2008)
  (President Ahmadinejad congratulates, advises President-Elect Obama)
• "Barack Obama's Presidency: History Being Made"
  (November 6, 2008)
• "Resolutions "Worthless Papers"
  - Iran's President Ahmadinejad"
  (October 24, 2007)
• "Iran's New Nuclear Negotiator"
  (October 21, 2007)
• "Iran and Russia and Germany and Japan"
  (October 19, 2007)
• "Russia's Putin and Iran's Ahmadinejad: More Complications"
  (October 16, 2007)
• "Students Demonstrating Against the President: in Iran"
  (October 10, 2007)
• "Ahmadinejad's Plan for Peace: Banish the Jews to Alaska"
  (October 7, 2007)
• "Kidnapped Israeli Soldier's Wife Asked Wrong Question at UN"
  (September 27, 2007)
• "President Ahmadinejad: Let's Give Him the Credit He Deserves"
  (September 26, 2007)
• "President Ahmadinejad at Columbia University: The Transcript"
  (September 25, 2007)
• "Ahmadinejad at Columbia, What Happened?"
  (September 24, 2007)
• "Ahmadinejad at Columbia University - Part 2 - There are No Homosexuals in Iran?!"
  (September 24, 2007)
• "Ahmadinejad at Columbia University - Part 1"
  (September 24, 2007)
• "Columbia President Introduces Ahmadinejad at Columbia University"
  (September 24, 2007)
• "Let Ahmadinejad Speak? Of Course!"
  (September 24, 2007)
• "President Ahmadinejad Arrives Not-So-Quietly at Columbia University"
  (September 24, 2007)
• "President Ahmadinejad Arrives Quietly in New York"
  (September 23, 2007)
• "Columbia, President Ahmadinejad, and Tolerance"
  (September 23, 2007)

American Armed Forces

• "Michael Jackson and 1st Lieutenant Brian N. Bradshaw: One's News, the Other's Not"
  (July 7, 2009)
• "A Bank Robbery in Texas, Donald Murrah and David Long"
  (March 12, 2009)
• Navy Petty Officer Mike Monsoor
  
  • "Navy Petty Officer Mike Monsoor and the Trident Hoax"
    (March 11, 2009)
  • "Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor: American Hero"
    (March 31, 2008)
  • "Golden Tridents on Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor's Coffin"
    (July 5, 2008)
  • "Michael Anthony Monsoor: Above and Beyond the Call of Duty"
    (April 8, 2008)
  • "Michael Monsoor to Receive Posthumus Medal of Honor"
    (April 2, 2008)
  • "Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor: American Hero"
    (March 31, 2008)
• "Melissa Stockwell: Representing America, Again
  (September 6, 2008)
• "There are Heroes - Ross A. McGinnis"
  (June 2, 2008)
• Gunnery Sergeant William "Spanky" Gibson
  "Crippled Marine Marches Back to Iraq, Wants to Help"
  (February 28, 2008)
• Marine 1st Lieutenant Nathan Krissoff
  Marine 2nd Lieutenant Austin Krissoff
  Lieutenant Commander Bill Krissoff
  "A Father Honors Fallen Son"
  (November 28, 2007)
• Specialist Christopher Hoyt
  "There are Heroes"
  (November 19, 2007)
• Lance Corporal Matthew A. Snyder, Albert Snyder:
  • "Individuals Count: See the Snyders"
    (November 1, 2007)
  • "Tolerance Only Goes So Far"
    (October 31, 2007)
  • "Does Free Speech Include Disrupting Funerals?"
    (October 26, 2007)
• Lieutenant Michael Murphy, U.S. Seal
  "The World Needs Heroes -"
  (October 22, 2007)

American Civilians

• "Bruce Maloy, Thank You"
  (March 13, 2009)
• "Dog Tags for Kids: That's One Good Idea"
  (December 26, 2008)
• Former President Jimmy Carter
  (starting April 9, 2008)
  • "News Never Revealed Inside the US! Reality Check, Please"
    (April 22, 2008)
  • "Jimmy Carter, Condoleezza Rice, and Paying Attention"
    (April 22, 2008)
  • "Carter the Peacemaker: Carter-Hamas Talks Bring Hope of Peace!"
    (April 19, 2008)
  • "Former President Carter's Peace Trip: What You See Depends on Where You Stand"
    (April 19, 2008)
  • "Carter Meetings Proof: Hamas a National Liberation Movement! Reality Check, Please"
    (April 19, 2008)
  • "Terrorists, Shmerrorists: I'm Here for Peace, Man!
    Jimmy Carter and Khalid Meshaal Meeting Today"
    (April 18, 2008)
  • "Former President Carter, Hamas, Khalid Meshaal: Definitely Not Routine"
    (April 17, 2008)
  • "Hugs and Kisses: To Hamas, From Former President Carter"
    (April 15)
  • "Jimmy Carter and the Blogosphere"
    (April 11, 2008)
  • "Khaled Meshaal, Jimmy Carter, and the News: Why the 24 Hour Delay?"
    (April 10, 2008)
  • "Khaled Meshaal; Jimmy Carter; Common Sense: Which of These Doesn't Match the Other Two?"
    (April 10, 2008)
  • "Jimmy Carter's Mid East Jaunt"
    (April 9, 2008)
• "Peach Bottom Nuclear Plant: Security was the Pits"
  (February 28, 2008)
• " 'Cowboy Diplomacy' and 'Live Long and Prosper' "
  (October 29, 2007)

Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan

• "Bhutto's Assassination Anniversary: Claims, Wild and Otherwise"
  (December 27, 2008)
• " 'Democracy is the Best Revenge' "
  (September 6, 2008)
• "Bhutto: A Son of bin Laden Planned My Death"
  (February 3, 2008)
• "Bhutto Assassination: Gun = Government Involvement?" (January 2, 2008)
• "Pakistan and the Bhutto Assassination: A New-and-Improved Official Explanation"
  (January 1, 2008)
• "Pakistan is not America"
  (December 30, 2007)
• "Brave Words, Prudent Words"
  (December 30, 2007)
• "After Benazir Bhutto: Grassroots Looters, Official spinmeisters"
  (December 28, 2007)
• "Pyrrhic Victory, Anyone? Another Thought on the Bhutto Assassination"
  (December 28, 2007)
• "Al Qaeda: We Killed Bhutto"
  (December 28, 2007)
• "Benazir Bhutto's Assassination and Nawaz Sharif's Near-Miss: It Could be Worse"
  (December 27, 2007)
• "Benzir Bhutto, June 21, 1953 – December 27, 2007"
  (December 27, 2007)
• "Pakistani Government Promises Objective Investigation of its Involvement in Bhutto Assassination Attempt"
  (October 22, 2007)
• "Bhutto, Bombs, and Curious Coincidences"
  (October 19, 2007)
  
• "'Long Live Bhutto' Banner: Why English?"
  (October 19, 2007)
  
• "Pakistan Politics: Bhutto Bombed"
  (October 18, 2007)

The Holy Father

• "Spiritual Leader of 1,000,000,000 Doesn't Meet With Los Angeles Advocate!"
  (April 15, 2008)
• "Pope Visits America: News and Adequate Coverage"
  (April 15, 2008)
• "Pope Benedict XVI is Coming to America"
  (April 14, 2008)
• "The Pope Comes to America: A Prediction in a Very Catholic Post"
  (April 13, 2008)
• "America is in Good Company: Bin Laden Slams Pope, Too"
  (March 20, 2008)
• " 'Pope attacks Iran at Jewish Congress' "
  (October 13, 2007)
• "Muslim Leaders Call For Dialog! Pope Told "Survival of World" at Stake!!"
  (October 12, 2007)

Iraqi Leaders

• "Ten Iraqi Sheiks Kidnapped: Who's Promoting Islam Here?"
  (October 28, 2007)
• "Stressed-Out by Iraq? You're Not the Only One"
  Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, Sheik Majid Tahir
  (September 16, 2007)

Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

• "Putin, Ahmadinejad, Iran, Syria, Israel: Here We Go Again?"
  (October 18, 2007)
• "Wisdom (?) From Iran: Boycott Peace Conference"
  (October 13, 2007)
• "When Iran's Disappointed, Bad Things Happen"
  (September 29, 2007)
• " 'Quagmire,' the Revolutionary Guard, and the News"
  (August 19, 2007)

Osama bin Laden, from Saudi Arabia

• "Osama bin Laden: Something Old, Something New"
  (October 23, 2007)
• "SITE, Osama bin Laden, and Online Security: What Part of "Secret" Doesn't Washington Understand?"
  (October 9, 2007)
• "القـُدْس - Al Quds - Death to Israel, Death to America, and All That"
  (October 6, 2007)
• "Osama bin Laden, Superstar!"
  (September 11, 2007)
• "Osama bin Laden: Media Star"
  (September 10, 2007)
• "When Osama Talks, People Listen"
  (September 8, 2007)
• "Bin Laden's New Video"
  (September 7, 2007)
• "Muslims Fear American Attack, Global Survey Finds!!!"
  (July 27, 2007)

Stanislav Petrov, the man who saved the world

• "Common Sense Knows No Boundaries: Neither does Bureaucratic Vindictiveness"
  (February 14, 2008)