May 27, 2010, Jalalabad, Afghanistan
Since the director of National Intelligence, Dennis Blair, was forced to submit his resignation letter last week, the government is seeking a suitable replacement to fill the top spy position. Blair's replacement will be the fourth intelligence director in five years. I think it a bit coincidental that I just finished reading Vince Flynn's Separation of Power. It is such an appropriate novel for the times. As a self-proclaimed conspiracy theorist, I believe there is much more going on behind the scenes than the average American wants to admit. But to be fair, I only dabble in conspiracy theory as a hobby rather than as a way of life. The term "resignation" has always seemed to carry with it such negative connotations. Resignations are rarely, if ever, good. The resignation is either forced by the employer for wrong-doings, corruption, misguided political ambition or chosen by the employee for much of the same reasons. Should the end of one's career come under favorable conditions, the event would be called a "retirement" vice "resignation". Retirements are much more respectable and are usually agreed upon by both parties. They involve awards, ceremonies, parties, pats on the back, jerseys hung in gymnasiums, parking garages named after the retiree, and so on. Resignations on the other hand make the front page of the newspaper and are usually shrouded in controversy - except for mine of course, but we'll save that for another blog.
Separation of Power is Vince Flynn's 4th novel in a series of political intrigue masterpieces. This book is not about the resignation of politicians, but the replacement of the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. A genuine "good vs. evil" political thriller with a cast of high-profile international characters! Although not as good as Term Limits or Transfer of Power, the book is still a nail-biter and difficult to put down. It is fast-paced and chocked full of implications that will have your blood boiling in no time. Being the 4th in the series, it helps if the reader has read the previous three novels; however, it is not required. Flynn does a great job of bringing the reader up to speed so as to keep everything in context. I am a big Nelson Demille fan. Having read most of his books (The Charm School twice), I didn't think books on espionage and political intrigue could get much better. That is until a friend of mine introduced me to Vince Flynn. Ironically, Flynn respectfully mentions Demille on occasion in his novels!
After the death of long-time intelligence director and mentor Thomas Stansfield, the political hyenas see their opportunity to place their pawn into the much coveted seat of power in order to promote their own corrupt agendas and bring an early end to the president's term. At the same time, the Commander in Chief and his national security council are battling another crisis - Saddam Hussein is about to enter the nuclear arms race. Having dodged an assassination attempt on his life, the superhero character of Mitch Rapp, a deep cover CIA operative, is once again thrust into the vicious circle of Washington's crime and politics all the while being tasked with the most important mission of his career. As the bodies and clues start to pile up, Rapp is forced to help protect his long-time friend and boss, Dr. Irene Kennedy, and ensure she takes her rightful spot as the new director of the CIA, meanwhile singlehandedly preventing the start of WWIII.
Do yourself a favor and pick up Separation of Power, or start at the beginning of the series with Term Limits and get ready for a thrill ride. It is a great way to lose yourself in fiction while the real actors continue to botch things up on Capitol Hill.
Other novels by Vince Flynn include: Term Limits, Transfer of Power, The Third Option, Executive Power, Memorial Day, Consent to Kill, Act of Treason, Protect and Defend, and Extreme Measures.
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May 24, 2010, Jalalabad, Afghanistan
A Journey Amongst the Good and the Great - by Alex "Andy" Kerr
A Book Review
Never in a million years would I have ever seen myself picking this book off the bookstore shelf. I have never feigned an interest in law and those who know me know that I loathe politics more than anyone. Nevertheless, as fate would have it, a signed copy of this book was given to me by our good friend Susan Kerr. Susan was Andy's second wife and his companion to the end. Susan and Andy were the first owners of our boat Andiamo III as mentioned in his book. Soon after our first meeting in 2008, Susan began to share stories about her late husband and the wonderful life he led. It was then that she gave us a copy of this book. Now I must admit that I was excited to have an autographed copy to add to our library but I took it more out of obligation than genuine interest (forgive me, Susan). Since that time, Susan has asked me on more than one occasion if I had read Andy's book. The question usually came after I had asked her something about Andy or about their life together. Embarrassed, I said "not yet" and tried to create some excuse as to why I put the book on the shelf without even giving it a once-over. I was guilty of judging the book by its cover. Without fail, Susan's kindhearted response was simply "read Andy's book". This is not the type of book I normally read, but because of the unusual connection to the author and the wonderful circumstances by which I obtained a copy, I feel that I owed it to Andy and Susan to read it and share my review.
A Journey Amongst the Good and the Great, published by the Naval Institute Press, was written by Captain Alex "Andy" Kerr (RET) while sailing in the South Pacific during the mid-1980s. The book is an autobiography that recounts his life, his career, and his intimate relationship with some of the nation's most influential military leaders, politicians, and presidents of the mid 20th century. Captain Kerr emigrated from Australia as a child, graduated from the US Naval Academy, served as a surface warfare officer during the final days of WWII and as a submarine officer after that. After being disqualified for service on the line due to a hearing problem, Captain Kerr completed the Naval Law Program and served the remainder of his career as an attorney and chief counsel for some of the most influential men in US history. His direct involvement in such events as General MacArthur's return to the Philippines, the Tonkin Gulf incidents, the TFX fighter plane debates, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and even the assassination of JFK are almost unbelievable. The book serves as a very qualified source of US and naval history from the unique perspective of someone on the inside. Historians, attorneys, and readers from all backgrounds will gain some much needed insight by reading this book.
Despite the legal and political context, the book is an easy read. It is rich in history, anecdotes, and facts that would cause even the staunchest skeptic to waiver in their biases towards the events of the past. Captain Kerr's storytelling ability makes the book difficult to put down. Though an autobiography, the reader is likely to learn more about the colorful lives of the individual characters of the book than the author himself. I feel this reflects the character and dedication to excellence of Captain Kerr. The mere fact that he served as chief counsel for these great men, which included four Secretaries of the Navy, is a testament to his qualifications and reputation. Had it not been for Captain Kerr's influence and sage counsel, the individuals in this book would never have been as good or as great. Without a doubt, he made them better than they ever could have been without him. His humble recount of some of these great men unintentionally places him as one of their equals as opposed to just an employee. Captain Kerr was one of the greats!
I still loathe politics, but recognize it as a necessary evil. I wouldn't last a day in that environment. Perhaps that is one reason my military career has taken the turn that it has. Captain Kerr's attitude toward his responsibilities and duties will humble even the most dedicated individual. His tireless work ethic was beyond reproach. He tried to do the right thing and poured every ounce of effort into everything he did. I would love to have met Andy Kerr. I think he would have made an excellent mentor and friend. I regret that it has taken me this long to read his autobiography.
The prologue alone tempts the taste buds of even the most skeptical reader. While serving as chief counsel for Secretary of the Navy John Connally, Captain Kerr was assigned to staff a letter received by the secretary's office from none other than Lee Harvey Oswald. Oswald had been unfavorably discharged from the Marine Corps and was requesting that the secretary change his discharge status to a more favorable one. After much research, Captain Kerr recommended no change to the discharge status of Mr. Oswald stating that he indeed had been a lousy marine. Secretary Connally agreed and sent his response to Mr. Oswald. Oswald was not amused. On November 22nd, 1963, while riding in the back of his limo, President Kennedy was struck in the head by a bullet fired from Oswald's gun. What many Americans don't know is that Secretary Connelly was sitting next to President Kennedy and was also struck by a bullet. Unlike Kennedy, he survived the incident. To this day most of us think that President Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. Even the Warren commission focused on the assassination of the president. Captain Kerr, on the other hand, knew based on his research and testimony from other marines that Oswald was a horrible marksman and shares personal insight with the reader that would lead one to believe that Secretary Connally was the primary target that day. President Kennedy was simply the unfortunate recipient of a stray bullet from a poorly aimed shot or simply a target of opportunity. Either way, no motive was ever established for the assassination of President Kennedy. Kerr believes, however, that Oswald had plenty of motive to shoot the Secretary of the Navy. This is only one example of the significant historical events in which Captain Kerr was so intimately involved.
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I am in Olympia brother. I look forward to meeting your family.
Fair winds and following seas.
April 30, 2010, Somewhere in Afghanistan
I should really post an entire blog dedicated to the installation and setup of our new alternative energy system aboard Andiamo; however, I'll have to do it another time. This blog is just a quick note about my kids new addiction - the amp meter! In short, we recently installed a new wind generator and about 300 watts of solar power. Before leaving, I had just enough time to connect the wind gen and the big dodger mounted solar panel. Thanks to the guys at e-marine in florida, we were able to install a great custom panel that contols and monitors our wind and solar equipment. The panel includes the solar controller, a dedicated display for the incoming sun juice, a set of circuit breakers for the wind gen and solar panels, a dedicated amp meter for the wind gen and the run/stop switch. Its a great little setup and tells you in an instant how much you are "sticking it to the man" by getting free energy from the wind and sun.
Anway, to make a short story really long, I connected the solar panel at 4pm under overcast skies and rain in the Pacific Northwest. BAM! 2 amps incoming baby! I was thrilled. Later that night, Tami woke me at 0130 and told me the wind gen was working it's butt off so I went to check on it. Sure enough, 6 amps incoming from the fresh breeze outside. I was stoked! So, to get to my point...After I left on Wednesday, Tami sent me a report of sunny skies from Olympia. She introduced the kids to the amp meters and told them what the numbers meant, how higher numbers were good when they were going INTO the batteries and that the more sun and wind we got, the more they could charge their Nintendos and watch TV. That's all it took for them. They were both glued to the amp meter shouting out numbers like stock brokers on the trading floor. "I saw 8.1" "I just saw 7" "wow, it just went to 9"!!! They were so excited. It was like we had just given them crack and they wanted more!
It may not seem like much, but if you can get your kids excited about 12 volt battery system management, then you are really getting serious about cruising. Now, since we had to mount the monitoring panel near the floor of Christians room, we can just ask the kids to give us a status update. Pretty soon, they will be giving me a full report of something like: "12 amps of sun, 6 amps of wind, batteries at 98%, refrigerator is running, nothing else is on, all systems GO, hoist the main....etc. etc." One can only hope.
So, as soon as I can, I'll get a full post together with pictures and all discussing our wind and solar install and some lessons learned.
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April 28, 2010, Seattle Intl Airport
Well, here we go again. My last trip to Afghanistan. As a helicopter pilot for the US Army, I have spent the past 9 years of my career deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. When it is all said and done, I will have spent well over 3 years cumulative time in that country. It has been a tough road. This trip is particularly special as it is my last one. It is also a fairly short one. I should be home just prior to the kids getting out of school for the summer. At that time, I will begin separating from the Army and preparing for our family cruise. With any luck, the time will pass quickly and I will return safely home to spend the rest of my life with the ones I love.
I thank all my friends and family for their prayers and support for me, Tami and the kids. Tami is a strong woman and does an amazing job while I am away. The kids have gotten older since I started this job and now they really hate to see me go. It used to be easier as their concept of time was much different. Now that they understand, they don't like to see me leave.
Hopefully, I will be able to post a blog or two while I am away. I'll try and keep you all posted on the happenings from the other side of the world.
Wish me luck. See you all soon!
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April 27, 2010, Olympia, WA (Swantown Marina)
Andiamo recently lost one of its crewmembers to the perils of the sea. With sad hearts, we say goodbye to our beloved Beta Fish "Rainy". Rainy was Abigayle's pet and she loved her dearly. Abby took care of Rainy every day by feeding her and keeping fresh, clean water in her tank. Unfortunately, Rainy passed away from natural causes. With long, colorful, flowing fins she was absolutely beautiful. She will be missed. Every time it rains in Washington, we will be reminded of the sunshine that Rainy brought to our lives.
So, now with a position open on the crew of Andiamo, a new beta fish "Spike" has joined our team. Spike has big shoes to fill, but has quickly gained the love and adoration of everyone on the vessel.
Goodbye, Rainy. Fair winds and following seas.
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April 23, 2010
Andiamo III is our 1982 Hans Christian 43 Traditional Cutter (hull #68). She was designed by Harwood Ives (Glouchester Yacht Design) and built by Hans Christian Yachts in the King Dragon boat yard in Taipei Hsien, Taiwan. From tip to tip, she is just over 52' long, 13' wide, and carries a draft of 6' 2". Tipping the scales at close to 40,000lbs, she has full keel with almost 13,000 lbs of ballast. Since new, Andiamo has sailed over 60,000 nautical miles and visited world destinations like the Mediterranean, South America, the Galapagos Islands, the South Pacific, New Zealand, Hong Kong and other exotic destinations in between. In 1994, Andiamo completed the Pacific Cup Challenge from San Francisco to Hawaii with the first all-women crew.
Andiamo is a solid, heavy, ocean-going, sea-worthy vessel. Her warm, teak interior is full of history and nautical character. She is a head-turner at any dock, powerful under sail, and extremely sexy at anchor. The moment we first stepped aboard, we knew we were home. Not even half-way down the companionway and Tami says "we'll take it"! So, after a solid survey and sea trial, we became the third owners of Andiamo in the fall of 2008. During the purchase process, we came across some paperwork listing the names of the original owners, Susan and Andy Kerr. Thanks to modern technology and the internet, we were able to connect with Susan quite easily. It only took a few minutes over the phone for us to become friends. Susan regaled us with stories of world travel and shed some very valuable light on the boat's colorful history. Since that time, we have become very good friends and remain so to this day. We are so blessed to have her in our life and hope we can give Andiamo at least half the adventure that Susan and her husband did.
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