Why is the U.S. Buying Russian Helicopters?

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2013/1207/Why-is-US-buying-Russian-helicopters-for-Afghan-military

To outfit Afghanistan's security forces with new helicopters, the Pentagon bypassed U.S. companies and turned instead to Moscow for dozens of Russian Mi-17 rotorcraft at a cost of more than $1 billion.

"So why are we buying Russian helicopters when there are American manufacturers (Boeing) that can meet that very same requirement?" [Sen. John] Cornyn asked. "Makes no sense whatsoever and the Department of Defense has steadfastly refused to cooperate with reasonable inquiries into why in the world they continue to persist along this pathway."

On top of all that, corruption is rampant in Russia's defense industry, heightening concerns that crooked government officials and contractors are lining their pockets with American money.

"We're not dealing with a corrupt system. Corruption is the system," said Stephen Blank, a Russia expert at the American Foreign Policy Council, a Washington think tank. "This is not a world we're familiar with."

See, you DO need to know algebra when you grow up

http://www.ijreview.com/2013/12/100059-britons-utterly-confused-by-simple-math-on-their-lotto-scratchers/

Tina Farrell, 23, from Manchester, called Camelot after failing to win with several cards.

She told the Manchester Evening News: “On one of my cards it said I had to find temperatures lower than -8."

“The numbers I uncovered were -6 and -7 so I thought I had won, and so did the woman in the shop. But when she scanned the card the machine said I hadn’t."

“I phoned Camelot and they fobbed me off with some story that -6 is higher – not lower – than -8 but I’m not having it."

Santa Barbara Beach

There has been no attempt to remove the crosses by the ACLU or any other group.  The memorial also has a number of Star of David symbols.  Chaplains are instructed not to make any direct religious referrals (Jesus, Allah, etc.) except during services for that specific faith.

Subject: Santa Barbara Beach

The first  to the last picture are taken at the beach in Santa Barbara right next to the Pier.   There is a veterans group that  started putting a cross and candle for every death in Iraq and Afghanistan .  The amazing thing is that they only do it on the weekends.

They  put up this graveyard and take it down every weekend. Guys sleep in the sand next to it and keep watch over it at night so nobody messes with it.   Every cross has the name,  rank and D.O.B. and D.O.D. on it.Very moving, very powerful.   So many young volunteers.   So many 30 to 40 year olds as well.

The ACLU  (American Civil Liberties Union) has filed a  suit to have all Military cross-shaped  headstones removed

And that they filed another suit to end prayer from the military  completely.   They're making great  progress.

The Navy Chaplains can no longer mention Jesus's name in prayer thanks to  the ACLU and our new administration.

Obamacare Spoof from a very liberal cartoonist

If hard-left liberals like Ted Rall are publishing comments like this, it may be time to stick a fork into Obamacare:

 And maybe we'd get funnier comics if artists were all paid by the government (single payer), and of course, if every year, the government threatened to take 20% off their salaries unless they got last-minute funding. And if it were made illegal to draw comics on the side for those willing to pay privately. Ha ha, yes that would be funny.