false flag ops..declassified.

In my most current undertaking Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency by James Bamford I’ve come upon many nuggets of knowledge in our nation’s clandestine history. One such nugget that, incredibly, I’ve never even heard of before is of the CIA’s Operation Northwood.

Let me set the stage for you:

It is 1960’s and in the middle of the Cold War. The United States, namely the US Military, is staunchly opposed to Communist Russia and it’s satellites, including Cuba. President John F. Kennedy, the youngest president thus far, has just assumed control of the White House from President General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

1961: The Bay of Pigs. In an effort to overthrow Castro a CIA trained Cuban exile force was raised and deployed with promise of US air support. When the day came, however, the exile force was easily defeated and illusion of causing an internal revolt to overthrow Castro was quickly vanishing.

So Here It Is: After this debacle the Cuban issue was taken from the CIA and handed over to the Pentagon where the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) have been developing a plan to conduct a full scale invasion of the island. In order for this to even be possible, however, we needed a ‘reason’ to go in. In essence the JCS were living by the ‘Wish Creed:’ I wish a mother[tr]ucker would…

Operation Northwood.

Operation Northwood was a plan developed by the JCS and namely the Chairman, Lyman Lemnizer to “justify military intervention in Cuba” by conducting false flag operations within the United States in and around Miami and even in Washington. I could go into details but I’ll spare you and just post the scanned declassified documents from the National Archives.

The plan included terrorist hijackings, bombings, and other anti-American actions. Luckily the plan was never ‘officially’ approved by the Secretary of Defense or the President but what about Vietnam and the Gulf of Tonkin incident? What about 9/11 and Bin Laden/Saddam? Makes me wonder.

http://media.nara.gov/media/images/36/15/36-1469a.jpg

http://media.nara.gov/media/images/36/15/36-1470a.jpg

http://media.nara.gov/media/images/36/15/36-1471a.jpg

http://media.nara.gov/media/images/36/15/36-1472a.jpg

its beginning to sprinkle.

Certain events have begun to unfold in front of me and information comes in bits and pieces so I will yet hold my tongue till I have more definite facts. But, it seems, it is just these events that have made me reminisce on my days in basic being drilled to memorize this or that.

“WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE RANGE ON A POINT TARGET OF A M-16A2 RIFLE PRIVATE!?!”

“FIVE FIVE ZERO METERS DRILL SERGEANT!!!”

haha those were the days. Another piece of information that we were required to memorize is the Soldier’s Creed. What we live by, swear by, die by.

The Soldier’s Creed

I am an American Soldier

I am a warrior and a member of a team

I serve the people of the United States and live the Army values

I will always place the mission first

I will never accept defeat

I will never quit

I will never leave a fallen comrade

I am physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills

I always maintain my arms, my equipment, and myself

I am an expert and I am a professional

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life

I am an American Soldier.

damn straight. can I get a hooah?

[rebirth...sort of]

Ok so I just rearranged my room in an effort to accomplish some sort of rebirth and cleanse my chi. It took me a solid two hours to move and clean everything but after everything I look upon my labors and am very disappointed. haha Turns out that the way I had it before was perfect. I suppose it holds true that you never know what you’ve got till you lose it (or change it).

reading

Wow so these past couple of posts have been quite personal but I hope I haven’t put you off (sort of like how someone can get too deep too fast on a first date). On the lighter side of things, I’ve recently rediscovered my love of reading, though the loss of my TV might be partially to blame. Reading is sort of one of things in my life that I love to do but always find something else to do instead..perhaps you know the feeling.

I think I’ll start a book club of my own (screw you Oprah) even if I am my only member.

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever Trilogy – Stephen R. Donaldson

A fantasy novel that, in much the same way as Tolkien, is within the reach of those not particularly interested in the genre. The story centers around Thomas Covenant that is in every way a ‘leper’ This trilogy is stunning in both it’s use of the language and the struggle of the ‘anti-hero’ Thomas Covenant. Read it.

Replay – Ken Grimwood

What if you could relive your life..over and over again? What would you do differently? This novel explores the possibilities and shares the victories as well the sorrows of things that will always be out of reach. I suppose what struck me the most about the story was the evaluation of what is really important in life.

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable – Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Taleb is an epistemiologist, that is, he concerned with the philosophy of knowledge. In this particular book he confronts the issue of randomness, i.e hurricane Katrina, 9-11, the depression. Though I’m still wading my way though this one, thus far it has been an incredibly engaging read that is both deep it’s ideas and yet attainable for those of us new to the whole reading thing. Imagine the life of a turkey. His whole life he has been cared for and fed by these seemingly benevolent humans. By induction the turkey learns that this is how the world works. Then one chilly day in November he finds that his caretakers have suddenly turned on him and he is killed. The turkey discovered all too well the point where what he knew ended and what he thought he knew began, the platonic fold. How do we keep from being a turkey? Well let’s see what he thinks.

If any of you ever do end up reading any of these let me know..I’d love to chat.

::please disregard ‘considerations’ two posts ago…I have discovered that I am chained to my guitar and, try as I might, cannot walk away…I suppose this is a little like marriage.::

dream.

So I had a dream last night that was so vivid, not so much in what happened but more so in it’s emotion and I’d like to take a moment and share it with you.

::the preface::

Before I begin I’ll need to preface my feelings with my past experience. My family isn’t exactly what you’d call the closest family around. We get together for Christmas and Thanksgiving but over the years it’s felt as if we were characters in some screenplay role playing what a family should look like. Perhaps it’s just the natural way of things..children grow up and move out, parents readjust to life alone again, but something here is missing.

::the dream::

So here I am in my dream, alone at the end of a long, dimly lit, passage or hallway and before me is a door. I’m old and dressed in a torn, stained nightgown. I get this feeling that this is it. The end of the road. I open the door and on the other side is nothing. A big expanse of nothingness. I step into the threshold and just fade away.

::the emotions::

Now you can interpret that how you may but as I mentioned earlier the emotions that I was feeling during this whole time were strong. I remember feeling incredibly alone walking down that hall way, thinking where is everyone? How is it that here at the end of things I stand unsupported, unloved? I heard the echoes of my steps and each brought more pain than the last reminding me that there really is no one else here..

::the significance::

Cheesy? Perhaps. I woke up sweating, crying, and a little dazed by it. Maybe this is just my realization of how things really are..that at the end of the day its just You, that You is all you will ever have. Or perhaps this is a warning, some deep part of me is trying to get my attention and wake me up to the issues of my heart. There are times when, as much as i ache for it, I feel incapable of love and intimacy and it scares the living hell out of me. Either way I know that I need people. Not in ‘or else I’ll hurt myself’ sort of way but I guess everyone needs to feel they belong somewhere.

I want to build a family. Much in the same way as we see on TV with mafioso. I want brothers and sisters to die for, to fight for, to live for. I want to build a real fellowship. A familial fellowship. I want to build a family.

What hurdles have to be overcome for this to be reality? One day I want to be able to say in the wise words of the nationally known pseudo-italian powerhouse..

“When you’re here, you’re family.” – the Olive Garden

considerations..

Do you ever feel like everything you’ve based your life on turns out not to be what you had originally planned?

Identity…who am I? Am I Mike that nice “sorta quiet” guy that you met randomly at a retreat somewhere? Am I Mike that guy that plays guitar? Or am I Mike that guy that you grew up with but for whatever reason is sort of distant?

I’ve been thinking about these issues lately and I’ve come to some conclusions. The answer is yes..sort of. Since sorting though all of these issues in one blog would be a little overwhelming I’ll speak on only one as a continuation of my last post.

::the guitar guy::

It’s been said that more than the fame, ability, or recognition, the love of the music is all you need. False. There is not one of you who can contest my love and passion for all that is the Blues but it is simply not enough. I find myself at a point in my life where I have nowhere else to go..not speaking so much as to technique but more so to inspiration. This may sound silly to some of you but this is my life. And now I’m finding my life to be incredibly shallow. I watch Stevie [see below] and Mayer and I get chills up my spine but can I ever approach the throne of greatness..never.

I’ve been stringing it since the 9th grade..I’m going on just about 10 years now…what a waste.

For now i’ve decided to pack up and throw in the towel..sleep well Mi Amore.

set the record straight

One of my great loves and what perhaps has made me much of what I am today is music.  I love that a single note can speak volumes and stir in up depths of emotion in us.  Music is a powerful tool and one that I both love and hate.

please meet my love,

she has been good to me over the years, she loves me, likes it when i caress her, doesn’t get jealous when I shop around, and best of all she sings for me.

lately however we’ve been in a rocky spot in our relationship.  I’ve become frustrated..maybe I just don’t know how to make her happy anymore.  Every time I pick her up in anticipation I’m left wanting, wishing for more.  I wish I could really play.

Isn’t it unfortunate that the thing you love the most cuts the deepest?  All I want to do is make music.  That is all I’ve ever wanted to do.  I toil and slave over scales and rhythms but to no avail.  Perhaps this just isn’t for me.  Ok so maybe I’m not destined be a player then perhaps I can inspire you young string slingers out there to look beyond whatever it is you guys listen to (unless its j.mayer).  As I wrap this up let me just say this and set the record straight; I am not good, never have been, never will be.  Who is good you say?  …presenting Stevie Ray Vaughan.

his intensity right around [2:10] sends shivers up my spine every time.

THIS IS THE BLUES. amen.

passions

I’ve always believed that in order to get to know a person you first examine his passions. So in the spirit or camaraderie and openness I would like to have my own personal “passion week” as it were, and share with you some of the joys in my life.

Today’s Topic: Cigars

For those of you brothers of the leaf, relax and recall those intoxicating aromas and flavors of that last Oliva, Rocky Patel, or Ashton you enjoyed and forgive my brevity. For everyone else, enjoy.

::Anatomy::

A cigar consists of three major parts: the filler, the binder, and the wrapper. Each of these components contribute to the overall flavor and strength profiles of the cigar.

::Flavor::

There are many factors which contribute to the flavor profile of a cigar. Just a few of these include the temperature, humidity, soil, whether the leaves were grown in the sun or in the shade, whether the leaf is from the crown [top of the plant] or from the lower portions of the plant, how long the leaves were aged, or whether they were aged individually or with different types of tobacco to allow the flavors to “marry.”

::Love::

I realize that for some of you It is difficult to imagine burning fermented plant matter to be enjoyable but bear with me as i explain..

Aside from the flavor and aromas that I love, there is something about tending to a cigar that occupies your attention, freeing your mind. With the chaos of everyday life and the distractions of TV and internet, private introspection has changed from something commonplace to something intentional to be sought.

Watching the embers crawl down giving way to ash and every once in a while having to speed or slow the burn line is incredibly freeing for me. A British politician and poet once described that “…a good cigar is as great a comfort to a man as a good cry to a woman”

The therapy in sitting down with nothing but your cigar, your libation, and your thoughts is not something i will not soon give up.

“When I have found intense pain relieved, a weary brain soothed,and calm refreshing sleep obtained by a cigar, I have felt grateful to God, and have blessed His name”

- Charles H. Spurgeon

wear your seat anyone?

i love how they pose this guy all cool and nonchalant but there is most definitely nothing cool or nonchalant about wearing a pink turtle shell cushion on your back..