Posts from — May 2021

This is a picture from one of the columbariums at the Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place of many of those who served the United States since the middle of the 19^th century.

That is my Father’s marker. He didn’t know those located around his marker, but they all shared service to their country as part of their life.

The country continues to ask for service and people still respond to that call. As you think about the sacrifices represented by Arlington and other cemeteries, ask yourself if you have done what you could to prevent misuse of the willingness of some to serve.

It is rather for us the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us–that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion–that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

Taps – the final salute to a fallen comrade.

Towel Day

Do you know where your towel is?

People just don’t understand history or the modern military.

First there is a Space Cadet Force squadron commander who succumbs to Marjory Taylor Green syndrome and puts on a public display of his lack of knowledge of Marxism or military regulations:

Washington, DC (CNN)A Space Force lieutenant colonel has been removed from his command after appearing on a conservative podcast criticizing the United States military.

Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier joined The Steve Gruber show to discuss his new book, “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military,” which alleges that Marxist ideologies are becoming widespread within the armed forces. He expounded on those concerns in the podcast.

Lt. Col. Lohmeier can forget about the courtesy promotion to full Colonel if he is allowed to retire rather than being court martialed. There is no chance in hell his self-published book would have made it through review. He should have retired before displaying his ignorance. He is apparently really upset about anti-discrimination training which has been going on since Harry Truman integrated the military. If he had done some honest research he would have realized that fascism is a bigger problem for the military than Marxism.

Brian Williams of MSNBC has blessed Ted Cruz with a replacement for “Cancun Cruz”, Kremlin Cruz, for his approving sharing of the Russian recruiting agitprop and denigrating the US Army’s recruiting video featuring Corporal Emma Malonelord. Russia has a draft; the US is all volunteer. Push-ups aren’t a lot of good for operating the control panel of a Patriot anti-missile system.

Madison Cawthorn, if possible, is more ignorant of history than epidemiology or aetiology. Congresscritter Cawthorn, who rarely bothers to show up for votes, is totally unaware of the 1775–1782 North American smallpox epidemic. If Washington had been aware of the respiratory side of smallpox, he would have demanded the army wear masks, in addition to his order for entire army to be subjected to variolation. Unlike Jenner’s later discovery of the efficacy of cowpox producing immunity, variolation involved smearing the active virus in a small wound, which is a hell of a lot more dangerous.

These people deal in opinion and don’t approve of facts.

Position: 38.3N 55.2W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northeast [055°] near 28 mph [44 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1007 mb ↓.

Currently about 680 miles [1095 km] Northeast of Bermuda.

This is the last public advisory issued by the National Hurricane Center on this system.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 35.0N 61.4W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northeast [050°] near 9 mph [15 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 45 mph [ 75 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 60 miles [ 95 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1006 mb ↓.

Currently about 270 miles [ 435 km] Northeast of Bermuda.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

This is the “new & improved” tax filing deadline due to COVID-19 and the stimulus bill.

As it isn’t the original day, instead of the original version – Stevie Ray Vaughn covers it.

It’s the third Saturday in May, so it’s Armed Forces Day which is a hemorrhoid if you are in the armed forces. This is a day for parades and static displays on bases, and most importantly a lost day off as you are required to “volunteer” to participate in the “festivities”.

As what my units did was classified and not suited to static displays of equipment or answering questions from the community, we were used for clean up before and after the event as well as our normal duty rotation at the “office”. Why isn’t it a day off at a barbecue and picnic at a beach or park? If you want to see a military disaster, watch members of the regular Air Force attempt to march in unison in a parade, something most of them haven’t done since basic training.

That final lawnmower has been put on a back burner as I have been working on a computer problem for a friend. It is an intermittent disconnect from the Internet. I finally told him to take the modem and router back to the cable company and get new ones. That seems to have solved the problem. I own my modem and router and have not been experiencing any problems. Not paying the monthly equipment rental fee has covered the cost of the equipment years ago.

I have finally received all of the bits and pieces required to finish rebuilding my big box and will probably be “smoke testing” my efforts in the next couple of days, if the tenants don’t break anything.

I have also gathered the parts necessary to work on the kitchen faucet, so I will be trying not to flood the kitchen later in the week.

Oh, I managed to reattach a trim piece on the car that was knocked off by the tree. I used stainless steel screws instead of black duct tape, which was the consensus solution among the tenants.

I have put up the Tropical Weather sites on the side bar because the National Hurricane Center is coming on line before the official start of the Hurricane Season on June 1st. Tropical Storm Andres formed today off the Pacific Coast of Mexico and the Atlantic season could start at any time.

Wikipedia usually has to “lock” its Cinco de Mayo page. I suspect it may be related to the sudden appearance of sites opposing the celebration of this semi-holiday and others who have a hissy fit about any Mexican holiday being celebrated in the US.

In Mexico Cinco de Mayo or Batalla de Puebla, is only a really big celebration in the state of Puebla, where the battle took place.

The Mexican army won the Batalla de Puebla on May the 5^th, 1862, but the French went on to Mexico City in 1863 after receiving reinforcements and installed Emperor Maximilian.

It has the status of St. Patrick’s Day in the US, an excuse to eat different food, and drink different booze, and be obnoxious show an interest in other cultures.

Margaritas, tacos, and the destruction of piñatas, that’s what it is really about.

The May Day association with labor is all American, and just as controversial as everything of any consequence in history. The day is tied to a strike for the eight-hour day and the so-called “Haymarket Riot” of 1886. When it comes to “riots” and the Chicago police are involved, you are not going to find a single truth.

The dynamic duo that mucked up the Pledge of Allegiance, Dwight Eisenhower and his Republican Congress, made May 1^st both Law Day and Loyalty Day so those Commie working people wouldn’t get any ideas about having rights.