Publisher: Murdoc Online | Military, Politics, and More

About Murdoc Online I don’t fancy myself an armchair general, though I often act like an armchair 2nd lieutenant. murdoc_about.jpg I live in the Grand Rapids area of western Michigan, USA. I’ve previously lived in Minnesota and Colorado. I’m not going to tell you a whole lot about who I am, but I will tell you about who I am not. I am not in the military I have never been in the military I do not work for the government I do not work for any defense contractors or weapons manufacturers. All of the above are probably quite obvious to those who have served in the military or are employed in the defense sector. More things that I am not: I am not a full-time writer I am not paid to write this blog, though I have been paid as a freelancer a few times at other sites and in other mediums Other than being a registered Republican, I am not affiliated with any political party in any way This weblog is my hobby and other than income from advertising is not run for profit. Last but not least: I am not, repeat ‘NOT’, Dwight Shultz the actor who played Capt. H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock on the television series “The A-Team”. “Murdoc” is a nickname. Really. Murdoc Online, or “MO”, is my quasi-journalistic weblog with military news commanding the greater part of my attention. Politics and space exploration also get a bit of coverage, as will nearly anything else that catches my eye. This is a “here’s my take on the news” website. I do sometimes just throw news out there, but a little site like this doesn’t have the resources or the exposure to break stories or get any scoops. News and opinions definitely mix, and a lot of folks make their living by opinionating about news. The weblog format lends itself to “up-to-the-minute” opinionating, which is more or less what I aspire to. Obviously, my goals aren’t all that lofty. I definitely lean Rightward pretty strongly, though I’d hesitate to call myself a “right-winger”. I’m far too moderate for most right-wingers, and far too Rightie for most Lefties. I’m in no-man’s land, and often a target of snipers on both sides. I DO note some news, as a cursory glance at MO will reveal. It’s usually stuff that isn’t getting the attention that I feel it deserves, or that is being reported in a way that I feel is biased unfairly. Although I usually don’t write extensively, I am probably more of a ‘thinker’ than a ‘linker’ most of the time. I am a contributing writer and columnist for Shooting Sports Retailer magazine. Murdoc Online’s biggest posts (in terms of outside attention) have probably been these: XM8 Assault Rifle – January 2004 I’d RATHER be watching FoxNews – September 2004 Stryker Pics from the Windy City – February 2005 “Dear Pack 3311″ – April 2005 “It’s Called Courage” – August 2005 Navy Ships and Hurricane Katrina – September 2005 Pictures from the air of Gulfport and Biloxi areas – September 2005 Remember, this was virtually impossible – October 2005 “This is not a drill!” – December 2005 Submarine Aircraft Carriers – December 2005 Without them, man is nothing – December 2005 Iran 2006: Be afraid…Be very afraid – January 2006 This is sure to help Murdoc’s Page Rank – January 2006 “We all wear the same uniform” – February 2006 Iraqis at war with Iraqis = civil war – March 2006 Military Deaths (all causes) 1980-2004 – March 2006 Whatever happened to the “urban combat skateboard”? – April 2006 Outside the funeral for Sgt. Rick Herrema of Hudsonville, MI – May 2006 Pics of the Oriskany sinking – May 2006 First F-35 Lightning II flight – December 2006 Paid our respects to President Ford – January 2007 For more coverage of guns and gun issues, see my spin-off site GunPundit.com. I also write at Defense Tech and at Winds of Change from time to time. I’ve previously written at Watchblog as an associate editor. ADVERTISERS: You can purchase ad space on MO through Blogads on one of three adstrips: The premium ‘Top Slot’ strip (one ad at a time) or the standard strip. MO is listed on the Premium hive, the Military hive, and the Conservative hive at Blogads.