On The Road Again

Out and about chasing 150-year-old ghosts and history, visiting the linchpin of the Confederacy Vicksburg Mississippi.  The Siege of Vicksburg by U S Grant was happening 150 years ago on this date and the Bosslady and I are visiting some friends who live here.  Today we toured the Vicksburg National Military Park run by the National Park Service.  I highly recommend the strategic map of the siege that is located in the park's Visitor Center.  Covering over 6 weeks of maneuvers and battles, it presented a clear picture of the campaign even for someone unfamiliar with the Civil War.  After viewing the presentation, we toured the battlefield.  (Did you know that Ohio is the only state that had troops in the campaign that doesn't have a state memorial - but has 39 regimental/battery monuments?  I didn't either...)
But in my opinion, the coolest part was the ironclad Cairo (pronounced Kay-row)museum.  After having been sunk by "torpedoes" (command-detonated mines) on the Yazoo River trying to run to the south of Vicksburg on the Mississippi, it was raised from the silt and mud that preserved it and is on display.
Of course, the majority of the wooden decks and interior bulkheads have been ravaged by time and water but the cannons and power plant were salvaged and preserved.  The 880 ton vessel is a striking museum exhibit and I'll post some photos after we return to Cleveland.
On the lighter side, the Bosslady - who is not noted for her culinary adventurousness - tried and like frog legs today.  Of such small steps do mighty journeys grow...

What A Neat Little Scam For Bam

Move along, now.  Nothing to see here.

Hope It Hasn't Gotten This Bad Yet -

And I would much prefer it never started or got to that point.
  "..but if they mean to have a war..." is not a good thing to hear but may be a thing that must be said sometimes.

But the times they are a-changin'...

Paranoia

The latest "furor" about the 3-D printed weapons plans on the 'net and the Fed response is completely unacceptable.  The Feds should realize that there is presently a distribution-of-information that can't be stifled - there can only be short interruptions of the flow - temporarily.
Correct me if I'm wrong; but won't taking out the 'net under a "state-of-emergency" also take out the Facers and Twits?  Not a good idea if one has been offering the 'net as the "circuses" to go with the bread of 99-week unemployment.  Not that would happen....
The schwerpunkt is the fact that there is NO SINGULAR CRISIS POINT.  The left is nothing but relentless advocating "for the good of the children" and more control over the citizens of this republic.

As I see it, the socialist/progressives have make major inroads into most of the foundations of the republic - specifically educational institutions and mass media communications.  Using those platforms, the socialist/progressive/liberal powerfreaks have crippled the republic.It may be too late to reverse course, but I'd like to think not.

The Benghazi scandal had the unfortunate timing of the four deaths occurring during the regime of the Chicago Jeezus.  Despite the fact that the death toll was 4-0 Benghazi-to-Watergate, nothing will happen for that dereliction of duty (or Fast and Furious) - but you knew that.

Tell me something good.

Forwarded By One of My Jarhead Amigos

Who was there at the same time but not in the same place

Time For A Rant

It appears to take a lot to hit my buttons.  This did.  The "Nobody Seems Responsible" dance being done piously by the present administration has finally stuck in my craw.  Hello?  After the Benghazi incident, there is no room to lie.  There was a time that commanders on the ground could command minus 2 or 3 level hindsight.  After that, Kerry blew the moose overseas again and we should ignore it?  This is not the first time, much less the 2028th time.  Reality needs a base.

"Fast and Furious" as an initiative rather than a movie was a black mark on the "regulatory community" due to the insanity of the premise.  There has yet to be a denouement.  The basic premise was stupider than a Czar Clan of Obama.  It may not bode well for DOJmeister Holder. It should not go well for either of them.  Unless the Supes go apeshit....
What do you think?

No Comment Needed

Says it all in the balloons.  Asay is good.

If It Weren't So True, It Would Be Tragic

We All Do, But Ineffectually

True dis.  But it's time for spring.....  Good luck.

 

Hear me now and believe me later....

Want

This was posted over at the Nod under the title "Too Cool For School":

Yes, yes it is.

Another Bloody Question

Is it not rational-in-the-original-sense to be fearful of the economic future appearing inexorably before the economies of the world?  Has anyone seen an analysis that doesn't boil down to fairy dust or decline of the total economy?  Look at the use of liquid fossil fuels worldwide.  Down.  Tankers without contracts up.  This does not seem to bode well.  I haven't seen any real good economic news on any market.  Hard times are beginning.  Hopefully without weapons used by either side...

Conan Be With You

Questions

Since the 9/11/12 Benghazi "riots" resulted in the death of an ambassador - and the first US ambassador killed in 33 years - is it too much to ask to find out why?  Who did it and what was the motivation?  What steps were taken?
Who - the ambassador and 3 other Americans, "rioters" and "militants" present at embassy and "safehouse"
What - The above-mentioned were killed and possibly physically violated.Couple of hard-chargers reacted under/against/in spite of ROEs/orders - almost saved the day and died in the attempt..
When - 9/11/12
Why - Many theories ranging from a WH plot to save an endangered ambassador for PR gains prior to election to a "provocative"Youtube video (unseen by all but .0002%* of the online population of the world).
Where - A safehouse that was not .physically or diplomatically safe. 

And it seems to be nobody's fault or decision.
Of course Hillary will be castigated, but she only did what her ideology made her do.  So did all the other true believers in Foggy Bottom.  But the rot has moved down, not up. Not that will be actionable.
YMMV.

* - Truthfully false, but the total views of the "provocative" video prior to 9/11/12 was bupkis.

Words To Live By

Another No Comment Post

Lincoln, Not Thinkin'

Ran into this little gem over at Mostly Cajun:

This is another case of FAR more truth than humor being depicted in a comic strip.

Another Dropkick To The Gigglebox

Hadn't Thought of This THAT Way...

I've noticed what  seems to be a deepening current running through the conservative blogosphere vocally supporting the so-called III% movement.  AM over at American Mercenary makes the following observation at the tail end of a great view of Ranger training and competence:

Think about it this way: if you take the kill/loss ratio from the US experience in Vietnam, and apply it to the current US political atmosphere against the "Three Percent" then there would be not enough Three Percenters left at the end of the war to have a political voice.  There may be a few lone wolves howling at the moon, but they will be dismissed.

 I bet the powers-that-be are willing to pay the implied 56K dead and would consider it cheap at the price, since it wouldn't be their fannies.  Food for thought.
BTW - read yesterday's post about collapse.  More exercise for the thinker.

Pardon Me - What the $^##@* Is Wrong With Them?

Go read this whole thing and explain to me how that could be proper.  Or legal.  Or right.

The USEPA has been funding greenie activists as well as:

forcing commerce and industry to adopt a so-called 'green' agenda when many of the required technologies and solutions that would enable such an agenda don't yet exist.  The cellulositic ethanol debacle is a prime example of such folly.  As the Wall Street Journal summarized: "Congress subsidized a product that didn't exist, mandated its purchase though it still didn't exist, is punishing oil companies for not buying the product that doesn't exist, and is now doubling down on the subsidies in the hope that someday it might exist. We'd call this the march of folly, but that's unfair to fools."

Give me a break that isn't my neck....  The ethanol mandate is destroying America's internal combustion engines as it raises the price of foodstuffs (ask Mexico).   I only wish this were the worst folly of our spendthrift gov and their out-of-control planet-worshipping supporters, but this is merely a sideshow.  Look at Solyndra (and other solar companies) or the bigtime Slush Fund known as the stimulus, for example.  Or the bailout of the auto companies and subsequent destruction of the middle-class-owned auto dealerships owned by non-libs. The working class is being decimated-in-the-original-sense by those who claim to be their champions.
Times are going to get very interesting.  Very soon.  Ask Cyprus.

GettingTo 1000 Posts Is Hard..