Saturday, January 31, 2015

Occupy or devastate

(See 'Standing army vs. Fourth Generation forces' below.)

We do not have long-term commitment from citizens or from politicians.

So, occupation is out of the question.

‘Fundamental Concepts - Winning at War [Weirddave]’

Devastation “is a sure thing, but it's surely a godawful bloody thing. First of all, you have to realize that in any population of humans, the majority of the people just want to get along and live their lives. This means a small, dedicated group of committed people can drive the entire population in whatever direction they want. We're like schools of fish, swimming along, when suddenly a couple of fish turn and dart in a different direction and immediately everyone else does the same. If the people leading the population are bent on war, these people will be the firebrands and the warriors. Look at Germany leading up to WWII. The Nazis never numbered more than 10% of the population, and look at the whirlwind they reaped (Most estimates of the percentage of "radical" Muslims put them at 20-25% of the worldwide Muslim population. Chow on the implications of THAT for a while). The war faction in Imperial Japan was similarly composed of only a small percentage of all Japanese, and the same thing happened there.

“So how do you defeat an enemy thusly comprised? You kill them. You kill them, and kill them, and kill them some more, and you keep on killing them, not just the armies in the field but also the civilians back home, until the entire population cries out "enough!". You have to kill the firebrands, utterly defeat the warriors, and get the civilian population to the point where anything, literally anything, even surrender to an enemy that they've been told will annihilate them, is better than one more day of war. It's bloody and brutal and closer to hell on earth than anything mankind has yet devised, but it's the only way. Please don't misunderstand me. I am not bloodthirsty, I'm not being flippant, I am not cavalierly calling for war. I am horrified beyond belief at the reality of the words that I'm typing, but my horror doesn't make them any less true.

“And then.....

“And then you help them up. They'll have been told that they have no future after losing the war, so you give them one. You rush in men and money and machines and you rebuild. You give them a future of peace and prosperity and joy. WWII ended in 1945. Within 20 years Western Germany and Japan were peaceful and rich. Eastern Europe (where the Soviets acted as conquerors) was not. It's not perfect, and hatreds will linger, but man is mortal and generations born to wealth and comfort tend to be less and less susceptible to them.”

http://ace.mu.nu/#354660



The world is a stage …

… and at some point you will find yourself no longer playing the lead role in your own production, not even in the cast as “Horseman” or “Police Officer,” but perhaps as “Man Sitting in Chair.”

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Friend fixes car, finds 13 pounds of dope

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. – A New Mexico woman drove a van for more than 13 years without realizing there was marijuana hidden inside.

Melodie Peil told the Alamogordo Daily News she bought a 1990 Chevrolet van at a local dealership in 2001 so she would have room to transport her daughter's children.

Until Friday, she had no idea that on trips to softball games and on vacations out of town she had been transporting 13 1/2 pounds of marijuana hidden in one of the vehicle's doors.

A family friend discovered the marijuana when he removed a door panel to repair a broken handle.

Inside a hole cut in the door were five bricks of marijuana covered in plastic wrap and foil.

Police say the marijuana is so old that it's worthless.

Information from: Alamogordo Daily News

http://www.alamogordonews.com

Link at http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/01/27/new-mexico-woman-unaware-her-used-van-had-13-12-pounds-marijuana-hidden-inside/?intcmp=HPBucket


Detroit, Texas, Zip 75436 (it’s pronounced Dee-troit)

The real pronouncement is probably something like Da-Twa or De-Twa, it being French and all. Why this town of 10 downtown buildings is named Detroit, I don’t know.

East Texas has many uniquely named towns.

In southern Red River County is Bogota, but with a Texas twist on pronunciation – Buh-go-ta.

There is Telephone in Fannin County. “Poke Hindman owned a store in Fannin County and wanted a post office. All of his name suggestions were rejected, so he submitted ‘Telephone’ since he was the only person in the community with one.”

http://www.texasescapes.com/BobBowman/Town-names.htm

Mr. Bowman writes about Direct, Ben Franklin, Cuthand and Pickton, among others, but he does not mention Detroit.

Barely west of Clarksville on Highway 82 is Little Chicago. A longtime resident and frequenter of Dairy Queen coffee said when asked that the community was called that because it wasn’t far from Detroit. I think there’s more to the story – probably something to do with Prohibition and Red River County’s numerous illegal whiskey stills over the years, but who was I to argue with a fan of Dairy Queen coffee?

The best story on how a Texas town got its name: People in a certain locale petitioned the U.S. Post Office Department for a post office. There was a form; it was, after all, the government. Anyway, the man filling out the form came to a blank space before which was “Proposed Name of Post Office (write in ink).” So he did. And that is how Ink, Texas, got its name.

That is a Texas tale, so you know it is gospel truth.

Detroit (Texas) had 776 people living there in 2000. John Nance Garner was born south of Detroit. He was FDR’s vice president, but the president and the vice president got crosswise on New Deal programs, and FDR did not pick Garner for the 1940 election.

Here are pictures:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=detroit+texas&qpvt=detroit+texas&qpvt=detroit+texas&FORM=IGRE

Here is one from a long time ago. The buildings are still there, but with different names.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=detroit+texas&qpvt=detroit+texas&qpvt=detroit+texas&FORM=IGRE#view=detail&id=0022E230704D62577EDECE353F4F54FE89FD2335&selectedIndex=20

When working for the newspaper in Paris, Texas, I drove through Detroit three times a week for four years, going to various places in Red River County. I think I did three stories there – one about a hardware store, one about an antique store and the other about the Texas Historical Commission marker at the farm where John Nance Garner was born. The maker was lying face down and was too big for me to pick up and put back in place.


Obama promises to fight obesity in India

“'We very much look forward to partnering with organizations and the government and non-governmental organizations here in India around broader public health issues, including the issue of obesity,' said Obama.

“'I’m very proud of the work that Michelle has done on this issue,' he said. 'We’re seeing a worldwide epidemic of obesity, in many cases starting at a very young age.'”

However: The United Nation’s World Food Program says India is one of the hungriest countries in the world.

“UN agencies and non-governmental organization have pointed to undernourishment, and underweight children, as a serious problem in India.

“’An estimated 32.7 percent of the Indian population lives on less than US$ 1.25 per day,’ says the UN World Food Program. ‘The country is home to a quarter of all undernourished people worldwide. Any global impact on hunger requires progress in food and nutrition security in India.’”

http://freebeacon.com/issues/obama-commits-to-fighting-obesity-in-india/

Standing army vs. Fourth Generation forces

In commenting on Ride the Red Horse, Ann Sterzinger has this quote from William S. Lind:

“ … state militaries might not be able to come to grips with Fourth Generation enemies no matter what they do. ...”

http://takimag.com/article/science_fiction_for_the_fourth_generation_ann_sterzinger/print#ixzz3QDxmG3BI

Lind’s assertion has more truth than Pentagon planners and Congressional obstructionists would agree.

Here is another truth: If my guys can’t defeat your guys, I have several choices -- (1) Give up; (2) Train my guys in a different way; (3) Hire some guys who can defeat your guys.

The first choice leads to death or enslavement.

Door Number Two is possible, but only if I reorganize my military and political doctrine, train soldiers in the ways of individual killings and indoctrinate them with religious fervor. Those will take time and would include methods not favored by many taxpayers.

This leaves 3. Hire some bona fide killers. As many as necessary, for as long as necessary. Hire killers who are willing to use the methods of my enemy. Give free rein to the hired killers. Anyone and everyone is a target. As David told Abigail, he was prepared to kill all “who pisseth against the wall.” That is a necessity in fighting Fourth Generation War.



Australian invasion of Spanish America

Alassendro Malespina wrote in the 1790s that Port Jackson (today’s Sydney) was a threat because “’with the greatest ease a crossing of two or three months through healthy climates, and a secure navigation, could bring to our defenceless coasts two or three thousand castaway bandits to serve interpolated with an excellent body of regular troops. It would not be surprising that in this case — the women also sharing the risks as well as the sensual pleasures of the men — the history of the invasions of the Huns and Alans in the most fertile provinces of Europe would be revived in our surprised colonies. … The pen trembles to record the image, however distant, of such disorders.’

“All those prostitutes, forgers and pickpockets wouldn’t just band up with the regular troops to make a formidable invasion force, but then they’d settle down and have lots of reproductive sex just like those German barbarian ancestors of the British monarch did.”

'Spain planned to invade Australia with an armada'

http://www.thehistoryblog.com/

Time and politics ended any threats.


Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Unemployment

Unemployment Rate in Spain increased to 23.70 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014 from 23.67 percent in the third quarter of 2014. Unemployment Rate in Spain averaged 16.32 percent from 1976 until 2014, reaching an all time high of 26.94 percent in the first quarter of 2013 and a record low of 4.41 percent in the third quarter of 1976. Unemployment Rate in Spain is reported by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/spain/unemployment-rate

My wife asked, “Why have the people not revolted?” I said, “I guess the government is paying them off.”

Pawns in their game

“The Azerbaijani chess men’s team will not take part in the World Chess Championship taking place in Armenia. Armenpress reports, citing AzeriSport.com that the Azerbaijani chess players refused taking part in the Championship, to be held in Armenia’s Tsakhkadzor.”

http://www.oratert.com/news/azerbaijan/79688.html


So the US has homosexual men marrying lesbians?

“…36 states, plus the District of Columbia, allow gay men and lesbians to wed.”

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alabamas-top-judge-gay-marriage-rulings-are-federal-tyranny-n294991

Doesn’t that sort of take care of the problem?



Dumping slag at Bethlehem Steel

I worked as a brakeman for Penn-Central Railroad for a time, but I never saw anything like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhJF_hTJ2Rw

Neat around 2:40 when the crane operator knocks the hook against the bottom of the slag bucket.

You would want to be far away when the slag comes out.

On a train leaving the Cincinnati yard one day I saw a series of filled, disconnected coal cars going up an angled rail line. When a car reached a specific position, a device picked up the car from the rail, lifted it, and then turned it and dumped the coal. The device then turned the car back to normal position and set it on the track.

Answer.com says an average coal car weighs 110 tons, empty. The car carries almost its own weight in coal.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Obama to pre-empt Super Bowl

Not really, but it is a good headline.

It’s show time!!

Or, NBC News and President Obama, as “show time” is known today.

"’Today’ co-anchor Savannah Guthrie will interview President Obama live during the Super Bowl pre-game show Sunday.”

http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/savannah-guthrie-to-interview-president-obama-before-super-bowl/ar-AA8B9X6?ocid=ansWrap11


His ego is SO BIG he has to put himself into the Super Bowl. Has he no shame? What is he going to do when he’s out of office, and news people stop calling?

A Texas war

Not really a war, but an “armed uprising of Texas colonists protesting what they viewed as an attempt by the land company to invalidate their land claims.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgcoxe_War

What happened was, a land company and the state government tried to get between settlers and land. That’s a thing just not done in Texas. People there have a high regard for property. A rightful owner is a rightful owner, when the property has been rightfully obtained, and all real Texans will haul out their God-given rifles and etc., if necessary.

That’s what settlers did in 1852, and they drove a land company and the state government into seeing the light of property rights.

(All that new knowledge came about because my solitaire score was 75056, which is the Zip Code for The Colony, Texas. The Colony gets its name from the Peters Colony land, the site of the Hedgcoxe War.)

See also http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/uep02

UN attacks Sweden

Darling of American socialists accused of hate crimes, sexual violence and police violence. Commission on Human Rights also wants Sweden to appoint a commission to “keep track of human rights.”

Swedes especially accused of crimes against Muslims and Roma.

No comment yet from the Swedish Bikini Team, nor from SAAB, producer of deadly fighter aircraft and armored vehicles.

http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2054&artikel=6077709

Link at www.gatesofvienna.net

Heby, Sweden, Postal Code 74488

A municipality in Uppsala County in the northeastern part of the country. “The Dalälven River forms Heby's northern border. The municipality also has substantial forests with animals such as elk, deer, fox, bear and lynx.”

“Heby used to be part of Västmanland County, which borders Uppsala County to the west. In September 2005 it was reported that the municipality was permitted to be part of Uppsala County after intense lobbying in the late 1990s, following a municipal poll in 1998 where the majority was in support of the county transition. The transition took place on January 1, 2007. There were, however, forces who worked for the transition not to take place.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heby_Municipality

Here is the municipality site: http://heby.se/

There is a picture of a big Dodge or Toyota pickup, but the Swedish does not tell me why the truck is there.

At 10 a.m., the temperature in Heby was -1. The predicted high today is 1, with overnight low of -4 and high on Wednesday of 3. Forecasters predict 5-10 cm. of snow Wednesday evening through Thursday afternoon.

If you have the time and money: “Spend some time on a Swedish farm. Close to nature, silent and calm. Visit the animals, look at the happy lambs, say hello to our rabbits, pet the horse and get fresh morning eggs from the chicken!”

http://www.stugknuten.com/stugaeng.asp?stugid=10785

Hello, rabbit. Look, lambs. Hey, chicken! Give me eggs!

Some education into The Ancient Shorelines of the Heby-Esker, County of Vastmanland, Southern Sweden:

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/521126?sid=21105177330181&uid=2&uid=3739600&uid=3739256&uid=4


What are these people going to do when they leave college

… and find out they can’t censor just because they don’t like something?

It hurt my feelings. Boo-hoo-hoo.

A student tweeted: “The artist triggered me again. I’m hyperventilating. I literally can’t breathe right now . . . I’m being verbally attacked by this man. I’m shaking and crying. Please make it stop. Please help us. This isn’t right.”

http://www.city-journal.org/2015/bc0123fe.html

Monday, January 26, 2015

Armenian women better fighters than Azerbaijani men, ministry says

‘DM: Enemy sniper group commander hit by Armenian woman’s bullet’

“The Azerbaijani side continues a flagrant policy concerning its servicemen and their families, Armenian Defense Ministry’s spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan wrote on Facebook.

“’Only during the daytime today they lost three servicemen in Karvachar region and a commander of a sniper group in southern Artsakh – he was hit by a well-aimed bullet of an Armenian woman. Let Azerbaijani citizens know that their sons are not only killed, but are also desecrated by treatment of their commanders,’ A. Hovhannisyan wrote.”

http://www.oratert.com/news/armenia/79590.html



As goes Greece …

“In a healthy social democracy, the main parties represent the core of the nation. What we’re seeing all over the West is the main parties are losing support from the core as they defend the privileges of the elites over all else. The people will have their tribune, so eventually a fringe party finds a way to make its case to the disaffected core. That’s what has happened in Greece and is in process throughout Europe.”

http://thezman.com/wordpress/

Apparently, the Greeks are telling European banks and governments, “Bugger off.” As for main parties defending “the privileges of the elites over all else,” see Republican and Democratic congresspersons in D.C. right now. Our pitchforks and torches have not been the same as in Europe (not as sharp nor as hot), but in some things maybe we should be like them. Maybe.





Sunday, January 25, 2015

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili:

"Georgian officer Tamaz Sukhiashvili has heroically fallen in the battle for Donetsk airport. He, along with other Georgians and volunteers, fought off hundreds of Russian SWAT and Kadyrov’s forces.

“Our fighters, in a very fierce battle, took control over monastery grounds that were used by the enemy to fire at the airport. As a result, the Ukrainian army restored and maintained control of the Donetsk airport, a strategic asset which is a matter of principle for Putin.

“Three other Georgian soldiers were also wounded in this brave act. I spoke to Sandro Kvitashvili and according to him, they will recover soon.

“Tamaz fought in Tskhinvali in 2004, as well as in Iraq, Afghanistan and in the 2008 war.

“He quit his well-paid job in the Georgian Armed Forces as soon as the Ukrainian war started. He took an active part in all clashes, though yesterday’s victory was his last."

“'Russia will definitely be defeated and will have to surrender both Ukrainian and Georgian territories', - Saakashvili wrote on his Facebook page."

http://www.geotimes.ge/en/index.php/en/2014-05-06-22-51-46/home-today/item/2271-yesterday-s-victory-was-tamaz-sukhiashvili-s-last-saakashvili

Sukhiasvili funeral.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=tamaz+sukhiashvili&qpvt=Tamaz+Sukhiashvili+&qpvt=Tamaz+Sukhiashvili+&FORM=IGRE#a

‘Amid the pandemonium, someone had the idea to hastily glue that sucker back on’

Tourists were waiting, the beard was dangling … Grab some glue!

“King Tut’s 3,300-year-old funeral mask, called ‘the most famous archaeological relic in the world,’ has been permanently damaged, Cairo’s Egyptian Museum announced this week. It’s still not entirely clear what happened. But it seems Tut’s drooping beard was somehow knocked off at some point last year. And then everything went from bad to worse.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/01/23/king-tuts-mask-worlds-most-famous-archaeological-relic-has-been-irreversably-damaged/?tid=sm_fb

Link at www.gatesofvienna.net

Body of Georgian killed in Ukraine returned to Tbilisi

“…the death in Ukraine of volunteer Tamaz Sukhiashvili appeared to bolster Georgia's animosity toward Russia. Sukhiashvili, who would have turned 37 on Sunday, had taken part in the Georgian military's contingents in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Ukrainian National Self-Defense leader Igor Mazur: “We can understand those Georgians who telephone and tell us that they want to help us, because the Russians will find some reason to turn their aggression again to Georgia, or maybe Azerbaijan and Lithuania."

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/georgians-in-ukraine-fight-shadow-war/514853.html

Oaks, Oklahoma, Zip Code 74359

Oaks, Okla., is one of those towns started by missionaries who displaced with the Five Civilized Tribes from the Southeastern United States to what is now Oklahoma.

The missionaries were of the Moravian Church, which stems from John Hus, Czech opponent of the Roman Catholic Church. Hus was burned the stake on July 6, 1415. The Moravian missionaries set up a mission with the Cherokee in Springplace, Ga. In 1902, Oaks-Mission School was formed, by Danish Lutherans.

The 2000 population was 412 – 72.57% Native American; 13.59% white; 0.24 % Asian; 0.49% others; 13.11% two or more races.

Oaks-Mission High School teams are known as Warriors.

Just as a note: Oaks-Mission on Oct. 13, 2014, defeated Welch 52-6. The Warriors scored 36 points in the first quarter and 16 in the second quarter, none in the second half of the game. On Nov. 15, the Warriors lost to Weleetka, 48-26 in the Class B playoff.

Cut me some slack buds won’t be at Auschwitz memorial

Putin: No one invited me.

Obama: (Through spokesperson): “President Obama will be in India, on a long-scheduled trip.”

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/obama-will-not-attend-70th-anniversary-of-auschwitz-liberation/

(I don’t care if he goes to Auschwitz or stays in India. His actions already show where his thoughts and ideas are. Any other US president would attend, but this one is not any other US president.)

Friday, January 23, 2015

'There was no king in Israel'

“If people thrive under a leader, they will come to depend on that leadership and will look for ways of continuing it into the next generation. At the same time, leaders have privileges that they are often loath to relinquish at the end of a crisis. Handled well, an extended crisis allows both leaders and the led to wish to continue the pattern of leadership and this can result in hereditary, permanent offices, as well as a standing army if the extended crisis is military. And sheer wealth can command the same kind of dependence if the riches are shared with society’s more marginal members.”

The Oxford History of the Biblical World, Michael D. Coogan, editor, Chapter Four, “’There Was No King in Israel:’ The Era of the Judges”, Jo Ann Hackett.




Thursday, January 22, 2015

‘The rival’ kills one Armenian soldier, wounds another

“Previously it was reports that in the night of January 20-21, the rival made another attempt of sabotage and reconnaissance infiltration at around 03:00 in the Karvachar direction of the line of contact of the Karabakh-Azerbaijani opposing armies. The front units detected the advancement of the rival’s special task forces, which were thrown back to the primary positions suffering losses. Serviceman Nahapet A. Asatryan (born in 1982) was killed and serviceman Hovhannes O. Gasparyan (born in 1973) was wounded due to the fights.”

‘Armenia's President awards fallen soldier with Medal for Military Service’

http://www.oratert.com/news/armenia/79491.html

Pawnee, Oklahoma, Zip Code 74058

As of the 2010 Census, population was 2,190, a 1.5 percent decrease from the 2000 Census.

Ethnically, the population is 27.89 percent Native American; 3.59 African American; .18 percent “Other;” 1.03 percent Hispanic or Latino. Dominant population was 63.18 percent white, but white is not an ethnicity and is not counted in its separate parts.

The town was birthplace to Kenneth D. Bailey, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions on Guadalcanal; and to Ernest E. Evans, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions off Samar Island, the Philippines.

About 16.8 percent of families and 20.5 percent of the population live below the poverty line.

Home of Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum.

I'm not cynical; I'm ODD

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has a new one: Oppositional defiant disorder, characterized by “an ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior.” Symptoms include “questioning authority, negativity, defiance, argumentativeness, and being easily annoyed.”



“New mental illnesses identified by the DSM-IV include arrogance, narcissism, above-average creativity, cynicism, and antisocial behavior. In the past, these were called ‘personality traits,’ but now they’re diseases. And there are treatments available.”

(Treatments no doubt chemical and which side effects might include unusual dreams, terroristic thoughts, etc. and etc.)

To be accurate, “the diagnosis guidelines for identifying oppositional defiant disorder are for children,” however, “adults can just as easily suffer from the disease.”

As the blogger says: “Getting some half-wit school counselor to tell an unsuspecting parent that their little boy has ‘oppositional defiant disorder’ is a money maker. The busy-bodies at the school get to push around the parents and the psychiatry rackets get another customer.”

‘I am ODD’

http://thezman.com/wordpress/

(The Z Man sometimes goes around the corner and across the line on his ethnic generalities, but overall his blog is a good read. And, anybody want to bet against the vast – vast – majority of ODD diagnostics will be boys?)

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

‘…delighted the Constitution has been adhered to…’

Well, ain’t that just lovely.

The “Poster of Shame” outside a Phoenix recruiting office was “a stunning unconstitutional disgrace.”

Not the brightest decision by the recruiting people, so now the Military Religious Freedom Foundation can strut and do the walk – Yeah, we showed them. That’s right. We did that. You bet. Can’t push us around.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/01/19/army-orders-removal-of-god-and-country-recruiting-sign.html?ESRC=army-a.nl

If the mission isn’t for God and country, exactly what is it for?


The new Air Force

“A top U.S. Air Force general warned officers that praising the A-10 attack plane to lawmakers amounts to ‘treason,’ according to a news report.

"Maj. Gen. James Post, vice commander of Air Combat Command, was quoted as saying, ‘If anyone accuses me of saying this, I will deny it … anyone who is passing information to Congress about A-10 capabilities is committing treason,’ in a report published Thursday on The Arizona Daily Independent.

“In a response to the news outlet, a spokesman at the command, based at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, described the comments to attendees of a recent Tactics Review Board at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada as ‘hyperbole.’”

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/01/16/general-praising-the-a-10-to-lawmakers-is-treason/?ESRC=army-a.nl

Part of the New Suckup Military, where jobs are scarce and warriors need not apply.

U.S.-built ebola treatment centers sit empty

But it looked so good in news video

“Several treatment centers built by U.S. troops and meant to receive Ebola patients are sitting empty or nearly empty in the West African country of Liberia, according to a published report.

“The Washington Post reports that the worst of the deadly outbreak appeared to have passed before the first treatment centers were even completed. A Liberian government official tells the Post that the centers were built ‘too late.’

"’If they had been built when we needed them, they wouldn't have been too much,’ the official, Moses Massaquoi, said.

“President Barack Obama dispatched 3,000 troops to West Africa as part of a $750 million plan to fight the spread of the Ebola virus. However, the Post reports that the response from the U.S. and the international community has far outstripped what was necessary. As an example, the Post cites one treatment center where only 46 patients have been admitted since it opened Nov. 18. In Liberia's capital, Monrovia, there are seven Ebola treatment centers. According to the Post, three of those will temporarily suspend operations, while a fourth will close completely.”

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/01/19/us-built-ebola-treatment-centers-reportedly-sit-empty-in-liberia.html?ESRC=army-a.nl

In a way, empty treatment centers is not all bad. It means no one is ill enough to require treatment. Still, Obama's decision was, as usual, made on determination of what looks good.


Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Experts say – Right away you’re saying ‘Oh, hell no’

Pizza contributes to childhood obesity. Hey, how about helicopter parents who won’t let the kids go outside without supervision and … Oh, you looked at the sidewalk! That’s dangerous! I think I saw a peanut! OMG, is that a Gluten? Quick! Go inside! (And I’m not even an expert.)

Pizza “should become a target for counseling for the prevention and treatment of obesity in pediatric practice.” Counseling. Counseling.

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-pizza-calories-children-20150116-story.html

Link at www.fark.com

From ‘5 songs the French should have played for John Kerry’

Following his rendition of “You’ve Got A Friend”, James Taylor saluted the visiting mullahs from Qom with the Ayatollah Khomeini’s favorite song, “How Sweet It Is (to be loved by ewes)”.

Barack Obama then joined John Kerry on stage for a moving duet of “I’m So Vain (I prob’ly think this song is about me)”, after which Secretary Kerry updated us on the latest talks with Teheran with a highly nuanced version of Joni Mitchell’s “(I’ve looked at Iranian mushroom clouds from) Both Sides Now”.

Mahmoud Abbas got into the spirit and serenaded the Secretary of State with the Beatles’ “Hey, Jew!”, but Mr Kerry explained that was just one great-grandfather and it was a long time ago back in the Hapsburg Empire.

Asked about excitable young men who talk about avenging the Prophet and open fire while yelling “Allahu Akbar!”, Secretary Kerry responded that he and President Hollande had disagreed on whether to call them “radical extremists” or “extremist radicals” before compromising with a performance of “A Force With No Name”.

Two decapitated heads that had been through the desert with Islamic terrori …I mean, a force with no name then entertained the crowd with a Cat Stevens medley of “The First Cut Is The Deepest” and “Another Saturday Night (and I ain’t got no body)”.

The recital was brought to an end with Secretary Kerry’s performance of the first line of Carole King’s “I Feel The Earth Move (under my feet)”, at which point ISIS blew the US Embassy sky high.

–Mark Steyn

Comment section at http://legalinsurrection.com/2015/01/5-songs-the-french-should-have-played-for-john-kerry/

Hey, dipstick!

Yesterday I searched “images xuan loc” on Bing. Some references were to “11th Armored Cavalry Vietnam,” so I searched for Blackhorse pictures.

One picture was as good a representation of combat photography you will ever see – A soldier, had not shaved in two days, blondish mustache, dirty face. He wore a flak jacket and had a Blackhorse patch on his left shoulder.

The look on the man’s face was of pure pissoff, anger, disgust and maybe a little sense of futility. The face was that of a soldier Charlie better not pop up yelling “Chieu hoi, chieu hoi!” He’d be a dead Charlie if he even made an appearance, because that Blackhorse soldier was in “no prisoner” mode.

So you’ve got a pissed off, disgusted soldier, but the real pissoff was the caption: “Walk proud, Marine.”

What???

The referenced site was somebody’s dedication to our brave service men and service women who go the extra yard and yada yada. There were photographs and writings, and the writings say (in effect) “I don’t know what I’m talking about, but here are photos of brave Americans who do the jobs most of us can’t do …” ad nauseam.

Dipstick.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Alamogordo – Trinity, Roswell and the burial of 728,000 Atari game cartridges

Alamogordo, N.M., Zip Code 73286

Wow. The first atomic bomb melted sand at the Trinity site not far from Alamogordo. Roswell is not to far, either. And in 1983, Atari reportedly buried in a land fill several million game cartridges that “sucked,” in the word of someone who dug up several games.

Rumors and rumors of rumors and Atari issued a statement and then “What we meant to say was …” and “Well, what really happened was …” and “This is our final statement.”

Or as Wikipedia says: “The Atari video game burial was a mass burial of unsold video game cartridges, consoles, and computers in a New Mexico landfill site, undertaken by American video game and home computer company Atari, Inc. in 1983. The goods disposed of through the burial were generally believed to have been unsold copies of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, a game which had become one of the biggest commercial failures in video gaming and is often cited as one of the worst video games ever released; and the Atari 2600 port of Pac-Man, which had been commercially successful but critically maligned.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_video_game_burial

Prosecutor accuses president, found dead, suicide already official ruling

“BUENOS AIRES — A special prosecutor who had accused Argentine President Cristina Fernandez of ordering impunity for Iranian suspects in the South American country's worst terrorist attack was found shot dead, authorities said Monday.

“Alberto Nisman, who was set to testify Monday in a closed-door hearing, was found in the bathroom of his Buenos Aires apartment late Sunday, federal prosecutor Viviana Fein told Telam, Argentina's official news agency.”

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/argentina-special-prosecutor-found-fatally-shot-at-his-home/ar-AA8kYuQ?ocid=ansnewsap11

Four days ago

‘Special prosecutor Nisman gives details of complaint against CFK’

“In a radio interview, Nisman ratified his accusations against president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. ‘From all the phone tapping records, which were verified, we proved that two months after the death of (former president) NĂ©stor Kirchner (…) Argentina made a 180-degree turn in its foreign policy.’

“The prosecutor went on: ‘(The Executive) decided to approach Iran geopolitically (…) they wanted to establish full diplomatic relations, and more importantly, a commercial trade due to the energy crisis that Argentina faced.’”

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/179598/special-prosecutor-nisman-gives-details-of-complaint-against-cfk

But of course it was suicide

“Buenos Aires (AFP) – An Argentine prosecutor found dead just hours before giving what was expected to be damning testimony against President Cristina Kirchner appears to have committed suicide, the nation’s top security official said Monday.

“’All signs point to suicide,’ said Argentine Security Secretary Sergio Berni following the death of Alberto Nisman, 51, whose body was found overnight in his apartment in the trendy Puerto Madero neighborhood of the capital.

“Nisman, who had accused President Cristina Kirchner of obstructing a probe into a 1994 Jewish center bombing, was found dead of a gunshot wound just hours before he was due to testify at a congressional hearing.

“Officials said a .22-caliber handgun was found beside his body, which was discovered by his mother in the bathroom of his 13th floor apartment after his security detail was unable to contact him.”

http://interamericansecuritywatch.com/tag/alberto-nisman/


’10 Attacks Committed by Terrorists Radicalized in the West’

“When I was in college, America haters were cool, and the mulatto chick (who grew up with her white mom and never met her black dad) would recite passages from Malcolm X with her fist in the air as we all drooled and clapped our hands like giddy sycophants. Things have been getting progressively more insane since then. Today we have NYU students barricading themselves in the cafeteria, demanding the school provide them with Palestinian friends (see 10:16); Duke University almost wound up sounding the Muslim call to prayer on Fridays. We’re quickly going from thinking it’s cool to have radical friends to radicalizing our friends because it’s cool. In the name of promoting tolerance and eradicating hate the West has become a jihadi training camp.”


http://takimag.com/article/10_attacks_committed_by_terrorists_radicalized_in_the_west_gavin_mcinnes/print#ixzz3PHKHka3y


WWII in Lego

“Sixteen-year-old Liverpudlian student John Denno recently constructed a series of dioramas depicting events in Germany from Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 until his 1945 suicide. What’s most remarkable is that these highly detailed tableaus are entirely constructed from Lego pieces. The only part of the entire exhibit that was improvised is Hitler’s mustache, which Denno drew on with a marker.

"These highly detailed, lovingly rendered scenes include 'The Reichstag Building Is Burned,' 'Riots Destroy Jewish Shops,' 'Auschwitz Is Opened,' and 'Hitler Commits Suicide.' If you choose to see one only all-Lego exhibit devoted to historical atrocities this year, make it this one.”

http://takimag.com/article/the_week_that_perished_takimag_january_19_2015/print#ixzz3PHIhpTcA

Pictures of tableau: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/15/lego-hitler_n_6480600.html


(Taki gets a bit snarky now and then. The "Hitler Commits Suicide" is the best one. And, Huffington goes with "lego-hitler' in its link thingy, failing to note one scene with the two major murderers of the 29th century -- BFFs Adolph and Joe.)

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Maekula, Estonia. Population 2. That's right -- 2

Maekula, Estonia, postal code 72604 – Population 2.

"Mäeküla (Estonian for "Hill Village") is a subdistrict (Estonian: asum) in the district of Haabersti, Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It has a population of 2 (As of 1 January 2014)."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maekula%2C_Tallinn

Yep. 2.

There is a MäekĂĽla Pub. In MäekĂĽla. “MäekĂĽla Pub is right by the road that connects Tallinn and Tartu and has seats for 60 people.”

http://www.visitestonia.com/en/maekula-pub

“Our rich menu offers acceptable prices and popular meals. The meat pies of the Maekula Pub are popular even among the visitors from the distant corners of Estonia, and the coffee offered in the pub has been recognised as the best coffee on the Tallinn-Tartu Highway!”

http://maekylakorts.ee/?lang=en

Puebla, Mexico, Coors Beer and why we have Cinco de Mayo

(OK -- the Coors Beer part is a stretch, but writers to the left are known for rubber-banding as much as they can get by with.)

Puebla, Mexico postal, code 72582.

Capital of the state of Puebla, established in 1531 by Spanish conquerors of Mexico, in an area known as Cuetlaxcoapan, “where snakes change their skin.” (According to Wikipedia.)

Puebla is southeast of Mexico City. It is the fourth largest city in Mexico. The nearby municipality of Cuautlancingo has the world’s largest Volkswagen factory outside Germany.

As municipal seat, the city of Puebla governs 482 other communities. By the 2005 census, Puebla’s population was 1.485 million.

On May 5, 1862, Mexican forces under Gen. Ignacio Zaragosa defeated a French army contingent, making Cinco de Mayo an official holiday in the city. The French took the city the next year and did not leave until 1866.

In the U.S., Cinco de Mayo celebrations began in Texas, since Gen. Zaragosa was born in Texas.

“Cinco de Mayo began in Texas as a source of cultural pride. On May 5th, 1867 in San Ignacio, Texas, they first celebrated General Ignacio Zaragosa’s victory and other border towns picked up the tradition.”

http://www.ourmexico.com/mexican-pride-cinco-de-mayo/

The Coors Beer theory:

“The growth of celebrations in the United States was initially triggered by a lawsuit from LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, several decades ago, against Coors beer company. The settlement included the brewer's backing of Cinco de Mayo festivities in the U.S., but competing companies like Miller and Anheuser-Busch were not about to let Coors grab the Hispanic market to itself, and the race was on.”

‘Cinco de Mayo celebrations in Mexico’

http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/3408-cinco-de-mayo-celebrations-in-mexico

And: “In 1985 the National Council of La Raza, the American GI Forum, and later the League of United Latin Americans Citizens signed an agreement with the Coors Brewing Company to stop the long-standing boycott of Coors Beer in exchange for more than $350 million in donations to Latino organizations. That is when alcohol sales first started to overshadow the pride of the people. When Coors and the Latino organizations began cozying up to one another they both saw a gleam in each other’s eye. Not wanting to be left behind, Anheuser-Busch and Miller soon followed suit and now the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) (among others) receive lots of money from the alcohol industry. Sure, the money does some good things. Budweiser gives millions of dollars in donations to the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the Coors provides money for videos and literacy classes for Mexican immigrants, and Miller sponsors the Mexican National Soccer Team and various educational programs.”

http://mexicobob.blogspot.com/2010/05/cinco-de-drinko-revisited.html

All of which shows: (1) companies – US and foreign – are always ready to make another peso from anything; and, (2) bloggers like Mexico Bob are always ready to throw a douche of ice water on any historical event and muddy the waters.


Saturday, January 17, 2015

What baseball fans do when having nothing to do

Babe Ruth’s first major league game was on July 11, 1914, with the Boston Red Sox. The oldest player on that team was catcher Bill Carrigan, 30. Carrigan broke in on July 7, 1906, with Boston. The oldest player on the 1906 team was Cy Young, 39. Young broke in with the Cleveland Spiders on Aug. 6, 1890. The oldest player on that team was Joe Ardner, age 32. Ardner broke in with the Cleveland Blues on May 1, 1884. The oldest player on that team was Doc Bushong, who was 28. Bushong broke in with the Philadelphia Athletics on July 19, 1876. The oldest player on that team was Nealy Phelps, age 35. Phelps broke in with the New York Mutuals on July 1, 1876. The oldest player on the Mutuals was Joe Start, age 33. Start broke in with the Mutuals on May 18, 1876. Major league baseball started in 1876, so you can’t go farther back than that.

Major league baseball was 38 years old when 19-year-old George Ruth put on his Boston uniform.

Stats at www.baseball-almanac.com

‘The people in charge have no answer for the current threats’

“The West’s movement towards the truth is remarkably slow. We drag ourselves towards it painfully, inch by inch, after each bloody Islamist assault.

“In France, Britain, Germany, America and nearly every other country in the world it remains government policy to say that any and all attacks carried out in the name of Mohammed have ‘nothing to do with Islam’. It was said by George W. Bush after 9/11, Tony Blair after 7/7 and Tony Abbott after the Sydney attack last month. It is what David Cameron said after two British extremists cut off the head of Drummer Lee Rigby in London, when ‘Jihadi John’ cut off the head of aid worker Alan Henning in the ‘Islamic State’ and when Islamic extremists attacked a Kenyan mall, separated the Muslims from the Christians and shot the latter in the head. And, of course, it is what President François Hollande said after the massacre of journalists and Jews in Paris last week.

“All these leaders are wrong. In private, they and their senior advisers often concede that they are telling a lie. The most sympathetic explanation is that they are telling a ‘noble lie’, provoked by a fear that we — the general public — are a lynch mob in waiting. ‘Noble’ or not, this lie is a mistake. First, because the general public do not rely on politicians for their information and can perfectly well read articles and books about Islam for themselves. Secondly, because the lie helps no one understand the threat we face. Thirdly, because it takes any heat off Muslims to deal with the bad traditions in their own religion. And fourthly, because unless mainstream politicians address these matters then one day perhaps the public will overtake their politicians to a truly alarming extent.”

http://thezman.com/wordpress/

(Z Man then argues that the people in charge believe what they say – Islamic terrorism has nothing to do with the religion of Islam. They are, of course, naĂŻve, if not insane.)




Friday, January 16, 2015

Meanwhile, in the peaceful Caucasus region

Azeris fire 25000 shots at Karabakh positions on week of Jan 4-10

http://www.oratert.com/news/karabakh-artsakh/78957.html

About 40 people were arrested on the Freedom Square in Yerevan, where the activists organized a protest against the position of Armenian authorities, which let the Russian party take control over the case of murder of 6 people in Gyumri, committed by the serviceman of 102nd Russian military base …

http://www.oratert.com/news/armenia/79168.html


Russian widow of Norwegian jihadst identified as Istanbul suicide bomber

“Istanbul (AFP) - A teenager from Russia's Muslim region of Dagestan suspected to have carried out a suicide bombing in Istanbul was said Friday to have been the widow of a Norwegian jihadist who died fighting for the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria.”

http://news.yahoo.com/istanbul-suicide-bomber-teen-widow-norwegian-jihadist-170030584.html


It's not as though this caliphate thing will spread out from the Middle East.

Compton, Arkansas Zip (and solitaire score) 72624

Compton is a populated area in northern Arkansas.

Lots of Ozark pictures, with wild pigs and elk, waterfalls, old buildings. The link has pictures of somethhing called "Compton swap meet shooting," but that is in California, where there are strict gun laws, as opposed to Arkansas, which pretty much figures if you aren't a convicted felon or adjudged insane, you can own a gun.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=compton+arkansas&qpvt=compton+arkansas&FORM=IGRE

Bad Urach, Germany, postal code 72574

At the foot of the Swabian Alb, Bad Urach is known for its spa and therapeutic bath.

The area has been occupied since the early Stone Age. The town became a center for weaving. Wikipedia says: “It escaped serious damage during any wars and so remains in excellent historical condition.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Urach

Avoiding war lends to a non-damaged area.

Interesting language, German. “Bad” references a spa; “bath,” I suppose. In the Army, I wondered when attacking or defending pretend German villages at Fort Hood and Fort Benning, at the designation “Rauthaus.” When learning it means “city hall,” I thought: How appropriate.

Famous people from Bad Urach include Max Friz, one of the three founders of BMW; Cem Ozedmir, politician; and Gunter Parche, criminal.

West Monroe, Louisiana Zip Code (and solitaire score) 72192.

Everybody who watches Reality TV knows West Monroe is where Duck Commander is headquartered.

Anybody who doesn’t know what Duck Commander is, why he’s not a true American.

West Monroe’s 2010 population was 13,065. It’s across the Ouachita River from Monroe, official 2010 population 49,147.

David Norris, Democrat, has been mayor of West Monroe since 1978. Any Louisiana politician holding office that long … Well, Long comes to mind.

About 16 percent of families and 22 percent of the population live below the poverty line. In the U.S., 10 percent to 20 percent of the population is below the poverty line.

Of the poverty rate, Rea Hederman of The Heritage Foundation said:

“The official poverty measure counts only direct monetary income. It considers antipoverty programs such as food stamps, housing assistance, the Earned Income Tax Credit, Medicaid and school lunches, among others, 'in-kind benefits' – and hence not income. So, despite everything these programs do to relieve poverty, they aren't counted as income when Washington measures the poverty rate.”

"Poor poverty yardsticks", Rea S. Hederman, Jr., September 8, 2006, The Heritage Foundation

NBA Hall of Fame member Bill Russell was born in West Monroe, but his father moved the family to California as soon as he could.

Another notable West Monroe native was politician Shady Wall.

Phil Robertson looks like a man who, if necessary, would cut a throat and dump the body somewhere in a swamp where even alligators couldn’t find it.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Senate staffers stole CIA documents

CIA: We’ll give access to secret stuff, but you can’t take any of it out, OK?

Senate staffers: Uh, Yeah. Whatever.

“What the accountability board’s review did find, however, is that Senate Intelligence Committee staffers stole documents from the CIA and violated an agreement it entered into with the agency over the use of a classified computer network. On several occasions between 2009 and 2013, while the committee was writing its report, committee staffers allegedly gained access to CIA documents they were not authorized to see — such as a spreadsheet that contained a list of videos apparently related to the torture program — and admitted as much when confronted by agency officials.”

http://floppingaces.net/2015/01/14/investigation-into-cia-snooping-of-senate-computers-finds-ssci-staffers-stole-cia-documents/

If you live near Decatur, Ill., leave now

“(T)he Illinois Basin-Decatur project has reached its goal of capturing 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and injecting it deep underground in the Mount Simon Sandstone formation beneath Decatur, Illinois. The project is designed to demonstrate the feasibility of carbon capture and storeage.”

Not to worry, though, 74,000 residents.

“Extensive monitoring takes place during and after injection to be sure the stored CO2 stays in place. Monitoring techniques include using geophysical technology to confirm the position of the CO2 underground and wells to monitor groundwater and soils.

“No out-of-bounds health, safety or environmental risks were observed from this properly designed and managed storage site. Appropriate risk mitigation and management plans were an integral part of the overall project planning. Extensive monitoring took place before, during and now after the injection to be sure the CO2 stays in place. The first line of monitoring begins deep below the ground, so we know if any leakage occurs long before any CO2 might reach the surface.”

Got that? The scientist folks are conducting “extensive monitoring” to make sure the stuff “stays in place.” And if it doesn’t stay in place, the scientist folks will “know if any leakage occurs long before any CO2 might reach the surface.”

Damn, I would sleep better at night, safe that the scientist would know Earth was about to vomit out the stuff.

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/01/14/1-million-tons-of-pressurised-co2-stored-beneath-decatur-illinois/

Link at http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Marthaville, Louisiana 71450

Wikipedia doesn’t have much to say about Marthaville.

“Marthaville is an unincorporated community in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Natchitoches Micropolitan Statistical Area.

“Marthaville was founded in 1851. The founder, James Jackson Rains, named the town after his wife, Martha Rains. The town, during its peak, had a train stop, a bank, general store, bar, and hotel, etc. In the late 1960s, the railroad was removed and the town experienced an economic downturn. Now it is an unincorporated community in Natchitoches Parish, still having the store, post office, etc., and it is home to at least a dozen churches in the area in addition to an Elementary and Junior High school.

“Marthaville is located on the western edge of Natchitoches Parish, 7 miles west of Robeline near the border with Sabine Parish.

“The Marthaville Good Ole Days Festival[1] is ‘A two-day September festival that celebrates the past with activities for the whole family, including games, live entertainment, arts and crafts, a parade, and delicious food.’ The Marthaville Good Ole Days Festival attracts about 1,500 people to the area.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marthaville,_Louisiana

Rebel State Historic Site is nearby. Originally, the site marked where three Union cavalryman killed a Confederate soldier. None of them must have heard that one Confederate was as good as five Yankees. Or maybe it was four. Or 10. Today the location is the site of the Louisiana Country Music Museum. The museum has a shirt that belonged to Hank Williams and one of Roy Acuff’s yo yo’s.

There are lots of pictures here:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=rebel+state+park+marthaville+la&qpvt=Rebel+State+Park+Marthaville+LA&FORM=IGRE#a

I’m not fond of waving around that X with the stars. I never liked that flag. The national flags of the Confederate States of America looked like national flags. Rednecks and racists and re-enactors, moonshiners and some just plain ignert people co-opted the “rebel flag” a long time ago. Let ‘em keep it.

What do we want? Fear! Why do we want it? Money, fool!

“A climate of fear is taking hold in Europe, as ordinary people increasingly heed rightist rhetoric equating the millions of peaceful Muslims with the few plotting murder and mayhem.



“The rising far-right in France and other European countries has been driven by an anti-immigration, anti-Islam message. National Front leader Marine Le Pen seized upon the Charlie Hebdo attack just hours after it happened, suggesting it was a vindication of her party's xenophobic stance. Extreme-right groups across Europe have increasingly been striking a chord with ordinary citizens voicing fears their culture is being uprooted by an alien civilization.”

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/01/13/europe-muslims-feel-heat-backlash-after-terror-spree-in-paris-authorities-urge/

Today’s journalism: News=fear=ad money.

http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/army/p/martel.htm

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Girl blown from her stroller 17 years ago enlists in IDF

In 1997 a suicide terrorist killed three Israelis and wounded 40 others. Among the wounded was 8-month-old Shani Rosen-Winter. Her mother, Anat, was killed. A week ago, Shani enlisted in the Israeli Defense Force.

http://legalinsurrection.com/2015/01/survival-story-israeli-infant-suicide-bombing-victim-enlists-in-idf-17-years-later/

‘Because the world can run on rainbows and good intentions…’

"The Guardian reports that nearly 300 professors at Stanford University have signed a letter urging the president and board of trustees to divest from fossil fuels.

“'The urgency and magnitude of climate change call not for partial solutions, however admirable; they demand the more profound and thorough commitment embodied in divestment from all fossil-fuel companies,' the Jan. 11 memo states.

“'When it comes to the future of our students we live to see, there is a scientifically documented, morally clear, technologically innovative right thing to do: divest from fossil fuels and reinvest in a sustainable future,' the letter, signed by 295 professors, concluded."

http://collegeinsurrection.com/

(Scientific and moral.)

Forgetting Memory Day

"I hold it as a principle that the duration of the peace is in direct proportion to the slaughter you inflict upon the enemy. The harder you hit them, the longer they remain quiet." – Russian Gen. Mikhail Skobeklev, following the capture of Geok-Tepe.

http://asianhistory.about.com/od/centralasia/a/Geoktepe_2.htm


January 12 is usually "Memory Day" in Turkmenistan but not this year.

The Turkmen authorities announced some months back that Memory Day was being merged with another somber anniversary, which annually marks the October 6, 1948 earthquake that nearly flattened the capital Ashgabat.

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov did not offer any reason for transferring Memory Day, officially a holiday since 1990, but then he and his government rarely offer reasons for their actions.
But there are some who feel forgetting to mark Memory Day is a nod to Russia, or rather a sign that the Turkmen government does not wish to offend the Kremlin. Some of my colleagues at RFE/RL's Turkmen Service, known locally as Azatlyk, told me that starting several years ago Turkmen officials stopped mentioning Russia specifically when speaking about Memory Day and referred instead to the "enemy."

Memory Day marks a black moment in the history of the Turkmen; their disastrous defeat at the fortress of Geok-Tepe in 1881. The battle was the last major battle tsarist forces would fight against the Turkmen and the area that is now Turkmenistan would remain under Moscow's control from then until 1991.

For the Turkmen, the defeat at Geok-Tepe was not simply a loss; it was a catastrophe.

Tsarist forces had been steadily moving from their Caspian coast bases into the land of Turkmenistan since the early 1870s. The Turkmen at that time were nomadic raiders of the desert and had lived for centuries plundering caravans and taking slaves, including Russians who began to show up in the area in the 18th century as the tsarist army spearheaded Russia's expansion into Central Asia.

Russian forces had already attacked Geok-Tepe, a fortified city of some 40,000, in 1879 but they arrived for the battle in small numbers (some 4,000) and without sufficient supplies to maintain the siege. When the Russians attempted to force the issue by launching a frontal assault on the fortress they were beaten back with heavy losses and forced to retreat into the desert to reach the Caspian Sea coast. Several hundred Russian soldiers were killed and many more taken captive, along with their weapons, in Russia's worst defeat in Central Asia since Khiva in 1717.

The general who was responsible for the debacle was sacked immediately and the next year fresh troops arrived commanded by General Mikhail Skobelev. Few Russians evoke such sharp emotion from Central Asians as General Skobelev.

With the exception of 1877-1878 when he was fighting in the Russo-Turkish War, Skobelev had been fighting in the tsar's Central Asian military campaigns since 1868.

Skobelev came much better prepared for the assault than his predecessor had in 1879 but the deciding event was on January 12, 1881 when Russians tunneled under the fortress wall and planted explosives that blew out a huge section of the defensive structure. Russian troops rushed through the breach, killing some 6,500 people in the city and then chasing down and killing some 8,000 more who fled.

Edmund O'Donovan was a reporter with the "London Daily News" and witnessed what followed. He wrote, "No one was spared, not even young children or the elderly. All were mercilessly cut down by Russian sabers. In all, 8,000 of the fugitives are said to have perished, while a further 6,500 bodies were counted inside the fortress itself."

O'Donovan lived in an age of Russophobia in Britain so his description is in keeping with the views of his time. However, his death toll was accurate, though later it would emerge most of those killed were males and this was by design.

Peter Hopkirk in his book "The Great Game" notes Skobelev justified the massacre at Geok-Tepe by saying, "I hold it as a principle that the duration of the peace is in direct proportion to the slaughter you inflict upon the enemy. The harder you hit them, the longer they remain quiet."

And here we are almost 135 years later and the government of independent Turkmenistan has decided to remain quiet about Geok-Tepe and Memory Day.

http://www.eurasianet.org/node/71591


Pitkin, Louisiana, Zip 70656

As of 2010 census, population was 576 in 230 households; median age 41.6; racial lineup: 541 white, 10 multiracial; 3 Asian, 2 other race, 1 African-American, 10 “Latino ethnicity.” (Wikipedia soiurce.)

What does Asian mean in census data? Are people from Siberia listed as Russian or as Asian? Philippinos and Japanese are counted in the same checked box. Indians and Chinese are in the same box.

Most of the eastern border of Vernon Parish is the Sabine River. That is Texas on the other side, and the river is pronounced “Suh-bean.” On an episode of Rawhide back in the early 1960s, scout Rowdy Yates reported to trail boss Gil Favor that he had crossed the “Say-bine.” That’s all well and good for a Hollywood type, but writers should have done their homework and found out Roman pronunciation and Texan talk sometimes are different.

Fort Polk takes up 200,000 acres of Vernon Parish.

Monday, January 12, 2015

‘Children Raised in Homosexual “Marriages” Speak Out’

“I know that the gay community has never in my lifetime put children first as anything other than a piece of property, a past mistake or a political tool to be dressed up and taken out as part of a dog-and-pony show to impress the well-meaning.” -- Dawn Stefanowicz, in a brief to 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, hearing case on same-sex marriage.

Ms. Stefanowicz also said "her gay father was so preoccupied with sex that when she was in high school and brought home a male classmate, both her father and his lover propositioned him for sex.”



“’What about the children?’ liberals often bleat. Okay, libs. What about them?”

http://moonbattery.com/


Oh, no! We can't call them Bombers!

Reading Edward Jablonski’s “Flying Fortress” for the fifth or eighth time and decided to see what internet has to say about Colin P. Kelly, posthumous recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for actions in the Philippines on Dec. 10, 1942.

“Colin Kelly Middle School in Eugene, Oregon, was named in his honor in 1945 by the school's first students, who preferred an ‘ordinary Joe’ as a namesake, rather than prestigious military or political figures. The school colors are kelly green and white, and the nickname is ‘Bombers.’ In 2013, the nickname was changed to ‘Pilots.’"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Kelly#

The school’s web site says:

“The seventh and eighth grade students chose the school’s name from a list of heroes, statesmen and presidents. They wanted to commemorate a modern-day hero. Captain Colin P. Kelly, II, a B-17 bomber pilot, was among the first servicemen to lose his life at the beginning of World War II. Students wanted to honor Kelly and all young flyers who were giving their lives to win the war.”

http://schools.4j.lane.edu/kelly/pages-new/about/tour.html

Maybe a bit of irony.

“With the 1993 addition of the mid-level program for the Japanese immersion school, Yujin Gakuen, the name was amended to Kelly Middle Schools: home of Colin Kelly, da Vinci Alternative and Yujin Gakuen.” (Same source.)

‘Kelly Middle School Unveils New Mascot’

“EUGENE, Ore. — Kelly Middle School unveiled its new mascot Friday.

“Originally named after a World War II bomber pilot, Captain Colin P. Kelly II, the school decided to change its mascot from the Bombers to the Pilots.

“Although there were never any complaints about the old mascot, teachers requested the change to make the mascot more inclusive to everyone.”

http://www.kezi.com/kelly-middle-school-unveils-new-mascot/

(I guess anybody can be a Pilot, but being a Bomber is exclusive.)


Sunday, January 11, 2015

Good victory piece

Red Army in Red Square, several thousand, probably at the end of the war, maybe some months after Stalingrad. Begins with the final few minutes if 1812 Overture and piling of German standards by Red Army soldiers. "This is how badly we defeated you. These are the marks of your army, and they will never be used again."

A few decidedly un-Communist scenes, with gray horses pulling limbers and caissons.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Famous+Marches&Form=VQFRVP#view=detail&mid=CB429B293ED87D344B66CB429B293ED87D344B66

Federal Security Agency

Going through papers.

My wife’s uncle’s 18 June 1940 Oath of Allegiance when joining the National Youth Administration, part of the Federal Security Agency.

Search shows shops, parades, rallies, camps.

NYA War Work Shops in Texas, War Manpower Commission, National Youth Administration.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=images+national+youth+administration&qpvt=images+national+youth+administration&FORM=IGRE#view=detail&id=7141CE95233B93D0175D46D0F679A0B024A26D15&selectedIndex=91

Uniforms:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=images+national+youth+administration&qpvt=images+national+youth+administration&FORM=IGRE#view=detail&id=BF2350BD172C81D049336D8CF259324A44AA498E&selectedIndex=121

Was a time. Every industrialized nation was socialist to greater or lesser degrees, with programs instilling discipline and order.

So much unlike today, in that we are not required to follow stupid orders, we do not have to present this paperwork, show proof for why we should be allowed to do certain things.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

The old man and Teddy Ballgame

"He (Connie Marrero) throws you everything but the ball. You see him out there warming up and you want to grab a bat quick and hit against him. When you get there, he has you groping for that knuckle ball. You got to swing at his first pitch. You let him get ahead of you on the count and you're dead." - Ted Williams.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=1951&t=WS1

Conrado Eugenio (Ramos) Marrero’s first game, April 25, 1951, Washington Senators, he was 38 years old. In five years with the Senators, Marrero pitched 735 innings, 669 in his first four years. That’s ages 38-43. He was an All Star his second year.

Marrero’s record was 39-40, 3.67 ERA. Of 94 games started, he completed 51. He pitched seven shutouts. He was named to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977. He died April 23, 2014, in Havana, two days before his 103rd birthday.

"Connie Marrero had a windup that looked like a cross between a windmill gone berserk and a mallard duck trying to fly backwards." - Felipe Alou (Peter C. Bjarkman, SABR Baseball Biography Project, 'Connie Marrero', Source)

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=marreco01

Are you a boy, or are you a girl?*

In Russia, you want to drive, you’re going to be one or the other, and no combinations or gender confusion (whatever that is).

“The Russian government has reportedly decided that it can make the country's roads safer by keeping people with what it considers ‘disorders’ from getting driver's licenses. According to the International Business Times, under the new guidelines, people who are homosexual or transgender will not be allowed to to get a license. The list also includes things like fetishism, voyeurism and exhibitionism as grounds for not getting behind the wheel, notes the BBC News.

“The ban, which the government says has been devised to curb the number of road accidents, reportedly affects other groups in Russia, as well. People shorter than 4 foot, 11 inches and amputees can also no longer get a driver's license. Pathological gambling and compulsive stealing are also grounds for not being able to get a license.

“Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed the order on December 29, and has been roundly criticized by Russian and global human rights groups that describe the bans as discriminatory and the wording of the rule as too vague.”

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/01/10/russia-bans-transgender-people-from-driving/

*The title of a song from the early 1960s, following the British Invasion.+

+The British Invasion is the term used for the sudden ascension of English/Scottish/Irish/Welch rock groups into the U.S., resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars going back to Ye Olde Country. OK, not so much Irish and Welch.

Is this true? Can it be?

Discovery Channel ending giant snakes, “fake stuff” and returning to actual science?

The new boss says so.

http://www.inquisitr.com/1741941/new-discovery-channel-boss-rich-ross-getting-rid-of-fake-stuff-bringing-back-science-and-discovery/

Far afield with Zip Code

Tarvastu, Estonia, Postal Code 69713. A village in Tarvastu Parish, Viljandi County, Estonia. Population 66 as of 2006. Nearby are a church, ruins of a castle and a chapel near the ruins.

Viljandi City is capital of Viljandi County and has a population of 17,473 as of 2013. “The town was first mentioned in 1283, upon being granted its town charter by Wilhelm von Endorpe. The town became a member of the Hanseatic League at the beginning of the 14th century, and is one of five Estonian towns and cities in the league.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viljandi

Tinuma de Zaragoza, Oaxaca State, Mexico, has the same postal code. Tinuma is a bit bigger than Tarvastu.

“En la localidad hay 291 hombres y 251 mujeres. La relaciĂłn mujeres/hombres es de 0.863. El ratio de fecundidad de la poblaciĂłn femenina es de 3.21 hijos por mujer.”

http://mexico.pueblosamerica.com/i/tinuma-de-zaragoza/

A photograph. Panoramica de Tinuma de Zaragoza

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/74341812


A message to the world

“Rush said today: ‘Just two Muslims with guns dominated the world news, and scared the media out of their minds, for almost a week. That, my friends, is called power.’

“It is amazing how fearful the American MSM is of, of Muslims. The New York Times males have their panties messed up. Man up, pussies. I advise 12 ga. shotgun, not rifle or handgun. When lunatics in the vicinity, steady aim is difficult except for the pros.

“He went on to explain that those two are not the real news, that the real news is the millions of Muslims all around the world who remain silent, support, or applaud their war on Western civilization. Not to mention their apologists and the scaredy-cats in the West.

“Has any Muslim organization in the world condemned these sorts of evil ones yet? Not one.

“Unlike some hysterics, I have no big fear of the batshit lunatics. Unlike the French, we regular Americans are well-armed. Unlike past free-world threats, these are snakes, not formidable armies. Slippery, though, because Islam advises them to lie to nonbelievers so, if in the wrong place at the wrong time, these snakes can bite. They need killing, same as a rattlesnake in the barn.


“This idiotic war has been going on for a long time, since around 600 AD. We are on the side of the crusaders, defending the foundations of Judeo-Christian civ. It ain't perfect, but it's OK. The French may need a Charles Martel, but most of the West just needs a St. Patrick to eliminate the snakes. Send them packing back to whence they came along with their loony cult and their hopeless, ignorant, pedophile, goat-f-ing, wife-beating, bloody, desert culture where their fun was in killing eachother and nobody really cared what they did until WW1.


“My only problem with all of this is that I have some Muslim friends and colleagues who I respect - and vice-versa - and whose company I enjoy a great deal. They have zero interest in killing me for my Christian faith and I believe it because we've talked over (many) beers in NYC pubs. In fact, in my heart I would rather bring them to Christ than they are interested in bringing me to their Mohammed prophet.

“For me, live and let live - but if you want to harm me, I will kill you and I have the means and the heart to do so with no remorse.”

‘Just two or four dangerously-stupid Muslims’

http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/25498-Wednesday-morning-links.html#c290303




‘Hopefully an asteroid will put us all out of our misery…’

‘… before progressive social engineering gets any closer to achieving its objectives.’

He and he fell in love. Then #1 he decided to get a sex change and become #1 she. #2 he also had a sex change and now is #2 she. Brit taxpayers coughed up Euros or pounds or whatever the degenerates in Ye Olde Country are using these days to pay for necessary surgery under NHS. Ah, well. They’ll all be muslimized in a few years, and “I wanna be a woman” will become “You say you wanna be dead?” “Ah, on second thought …”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/two-men-who-fell-love-4933751?ICID=FB_mirror_main

There are pictures of the happy couple. BARF BAG WARNING!

Link at http://moonbattery.com/?p=54169 and

http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/

Friday, January 9, 2015

Free college! Free cell phone! Free p****!

(OK, I made up the last one, but if this guy in the White House sticks around long enough …)

From www.thisainthell.us

‘Free community college proposed by President’

2.5 GPA, make steady progress. Federals will pay three-fourths of the average cost. States will pay the rest.

“So the troops are taking pay cuts to fund this completely useless social program. The Defense Department wants to scrap weapons programs like the A-10 so that the government can hand everyone a 2-year college degree that won’t be worth the paper it’s printed on. But the teachers’ unions will stand and applaud, and that’s what really counts.”

Where are the police?

An opinion column a couple of days ago suggested police just stop patrolling in places citizens don’t want them. Some places in NYC now have that, according to Reuters.

“Marcy Houses resident Nisaa, a 22-year-old black woman who declined to give her last name, pointed to a nearby street corner and said that until a few weeks ago, there was always a patrol car parked there.

“She thought the decrease in police presence was a good thing because so many of Marcy's residents feared confrontations with the cops. ‘It actually makes people feel better,’ she said.”

Another woman, though, said she “used to feel more safe” with police around.

Then there’s the expert, Robert Snyder, “an associate professor at Rutgers University who has written about police and community relations.”

"’Police officers are not going to look good if they put on their uniform on and don't fight crime,’ Snyder said.”

http://news.yahoo.com/poor-york-neighborhoods-residents-ask-where-police-222159358.html

The university site has a Robert Snyder, associate professor of journalism and American studies, “author of the newly published Crossing Broadway: Washington Heights and The Promise of New York City (Cornell University Press), which is based on years of research that includes a week patrolling with the New York Police Department in Washington Heights when murder and the crack epidemic were at their greatest heights and race relations in New York City were angry and raw.”

http://news.rutgers.edu/news-source-advisory/rutgers-university-newark-expert-can-discuss-policecommunity-relations-nyc/20141204

The way the university puts it: “In the wake of the Eric Garner case, Robert Snyder, associate professor of journalism and American Studies and author of a new book on how one New York City neighborhood recovered from years of blight and crime, is available to discuss police-community relations in New York City.”

North Platte, Nebraska 69103 – My Blue Heaven?

Not even close, although convicted mobster and FBI informant Henry Hill lived in North Platte in 2005, after being kicked out of witness protection. Once a crook …?

Hill’s life went into a book and two movies – Wiseguy, in film as Goodfellas, by Nicholas Pileggi, and My Blue Heaven, by Nora Ephron, Pileggi’s wife.

Ray Liotta vs. Steve Martin. Go figure.

Former Army sergeant, U.S. senator and secretary of defense Chuck Hagel was born in North Platte.

North Platte has Union Pacific Railroad’s Bailey Yard, the world’s largest railroad classification yard, where incoming trains are detached into individual cars, which are then sent to separate tracks for making other trains. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailey_Yard

The yard covers 2,850 acres and has 200 separate tracks totaling 315 miles. More than 14,000 railroad cars pass through Bailey every day.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Bonnie, Clyde and Mohammad and head in the sand

“The future must not belong to those who would slander the prophet of Islam.” – President Barrack Obama, September 2012.

http://floppingaces.net/2015/01/07/the-future-must-not-belong-to-those-who-would-slander-the-prophet-of-islam/

When younger, I sometimes heard people my grandparents’ and parents’ age claim Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were misunderstood, youngsters done in by police and bankers.

No, Bonnie and Clyde are not the same as Mohammad, instigator of death. But the idea of innocence anywhere near Parker/Barrow and Mohammad is all of the same idiocy.

As my mother-in-law said before my youngest’s first deployment to Iraq: “I used to wonder why God sometimes said ‘Kill them all.’ Now I understand.”

Leaving Mississippi? Alabama? No, it’s New Jersey!

Garden State leads nation in people leaving.

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2015/01/06/just-because-it-sucks-is-no-reason-to-leave-new-jersey/

As a new resident of South Jersey … Well, I know where they are.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Vanity, vanity – All is vanity

Belgian euthanasia doctors decide to find meaning of death with dignity – at Auschwitz.

“They are following Distelmans to Auschwitz, they say, to learn more respect for their fellow human beings. In Auschwitz they intend to find out why the right of the individual to decide over his own life is inalienable -- and why people must be absolutely free to make their own decisions in this respect. Auschwitz, they say, is the antithesis of everything that they hope to achieve, and they are seeking to reflect there upon what it means to kill out of humility and love.”

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/belgian-euthanasia-doctors-seek-answers-at-auschwitz-a-1003441.html

(Dr. Mengele would be proud of his intellectual offspring.)

Link at www.maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com


Coyote Blog: ‘Low Oil Prices and Prosperity’

(Low oil prices = good for consumer seemed a no-brainer from the beginning of the drop, but TV news people reported "low price bad for country" with no comment or thought.)

“January 6, 2015, 10:19 am

“I continue to see reports about how bad falling oil prices are for the economy -- most recently some layoffs in the steel industry were blamed on the looming drop (or crash) in oil drilling and exploration driven by substantially lower prices.

“I find this exasperating, a classic seen-and-unseen type failure whose description goes back at least to the mid-19th century and Bastiat and essentially constituted most of Hazlitt's one lesson on economics. Yes, very visibly, relatively high-paid steel and oil workers are going to lose their jobs. They will have less money to spend. The oil industry will have less capital spending.

“But the world will pay over a trillion dollars less this year for oil than it did last year (if current prices hold). That is a huge amount of money that can be spent on or invested in something else. Instead of just getting oil with those trillion dollars, we will still have our oil and a trillion dollars left over to spend. We may never know exactly who benefits, but those benefits are definitely there, somewhere. Just because they cannot be seen or portrayed in short visual anecdotes on the network news does not mean they don't exist.

“Ugh, this is just beyond frustrating. I would have bet that at least with oil people would have understood the unseen benefit, since we get so much media reportage and general angst when gas prices go up that people would be thrilled at their going down. But I guess not.

“I explained in simple terms why the world, mathematically, HAS to be better off with lower oil prices here.”

(Here is the explanation, short form)

“Before the price drop
• Oil companies have $1 trillion extra revenue
• Other producers have no extra revenue
• Consumers have 90 million barrels a day of oil

“After the price drop
• Oil companies have no extra revenue
• Other producers have $1 trillion extra revenue
• Consumers have 90 million barrels a day of oil AND $1 trillion of extra stuff (goods, service, savings, etc)

“The world in the second case is wealthier. And this is assuming all the people involved are private parties. In fact, much of the oil revenue drop comes out of the hands of value-destroying governments so that in fact the wealth increase in the price drop scenario is actually likely even greater than in this simplistic analysis.”

http://www.coyoteblog.com/



An accidental town

Edison, Nebraska, population 133, Zip Code 68936.

“This settlement just kind of ‘happened’ as western expansion pushed into Furnas County. The railroad also came through, but this was not what you would call a railroad town.

"Edison was just a frontier town, with all businesses designed to attract travelers and newly-arriving settlers. Described as 'a thriving town,' it had an opera house, two hotels, a blacksmith, hardware store, and three churches.

“The smallest schoolhouse in Nebraska was located south of Edison. It measures only 14-feet by 16-feet. Known as District 10, it was built in 1896 and closed in 1935. The building was moved into Edison and restored so it can be enjoyed by citizens and tourists.

“Most of the original businesses that were established when Edison was young are now gone. Some of them were no longer needed, like the blacksmithing and livery stable, while others burned down or just closed.”

http://casde.unl.edu/history/counties/furnas/edison/

The Ag Valley Co-Op is in Edison, P.O. Box 68. There is a Eustis East grain facility, a Norton East grain facility and a future site one mile east of Wilsonville. The web site has photographs of the grain facilities, as well as local happenings.

http://agvalley.com/

In local news, the site notes: “Manure Application Training Days Offered Through February.”

There is a somewhat calming effect, knowing that manure application is an important event in parts of this country.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Salem, Nebraska, 68433

By the 2010 census, Salem was home to 112 people.

Salem is an earlier name for Jerusalem, from shalom, the Hebrew word for “peace.”

"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God." (Genesis 14:18)

"In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion." (Psalm 76:2)

Tacy Adelia Wilkson was born in Salem, July 3, 1870. In 1901 she married Herbert Atkinson in San Rafael, California. The couple went to eastern Turkey in 1902 and remained there until 1908. In 1910, the Christian missionaries returned to Kharpert. Between 1915 and 1917, they witnessed the Turks’ attempts at eliminating all Armenians.

She wrote: "Today large crowds have gone from the city. We are told that the people who started Tuesday were taken to Hulakueh only two hours distant. There the men were killed, the girls carried away, and the women robbed and left...We do not know what is still coming. Large crowds of women and children are coming in today. I don't know where from and those who are here are dying as fast as they can, and are being thrown out unburied. Vultures that are usually so thick everywhere all are absent now. They are all out feasting on dead bodies. The women started out today were followed by a large crowd of Kurds and gendarmes.”

She believed the Turks incapable of planning and carrying out such large-scale murders.

"We all know such clear-cut, well planned, all well carried out work is not the method of the Turk. The German, the Turk and the devil made a triple alliance not to be equaled in the world for cold blooded hellishness.”

Of course, the devil does not exist, so additional blame must be given Turks and Germans. However …

A few days before adding his life and that of his wife to the tens of millions already dead, Adolph Hitler said to someone in the Berlin bunker: “I have been defeated by a greater power. I have been betrayed.”

Was that “greater power” the alliance of Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt? By whom was Hitler betrayed? He made his deal; he was overlord of all Europe; he rid the world of millions of subhumans – Poles, Slavs, Gypsies, Jews. But in the end, he was “betrayed.”

Perhaps at introduction and during negotiations, Hitler’s main supporter failed to say, “Pleased to meet you. Hope you know my name.”

Tacy and Herbert Atkinson had three children. Tacy died on Dec. 1, 1937.

Wisdomy philosophy. Sort of.

If guns kill people, then keyboards misspell words, cars drive drunk and spoons make people fat.

Found at http://www.badideatshirts.com/?gclid=CM6XkJi7gMMCFajm7AodjSYA4Q

Ceremony marks liberation of Azeri villages from Armenian invasion

“January 5-6 mark the anniversary of liberation of part of Fizuli region from the Armenian occupation.

“In 1994, 21 settlements and Horadiz village of Fizuli region were liberated thanks to a successful operation of the Azerbaijani armed forces.”

---
“The Azerbaijani army achieved this success thanks to national leader Heydar Aliyev, whose visit to the battle ground raised soldiers` moral spirits, the speakers said.”

http://www.today.az/news/politics/138190.html

(In the Caucasus, memories are as old as history. In the 1990s, people who had been under Russian Soviet subjection for 70 years took up left-behind arms and continued their ethnic wars from centuries ago.)

Other headlines: Armenians violate ceasefire with Azerbaijan; Azerbaijan warns Armenia against targeting civilians; Washington voice concern over growing tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh; Baku blames Yerevan for insecurity in region.

Also, Georgia has given Ukraine much humanitarian medical aid, and Russia has cut wheat exports to Georgia. Georgia receives about 90 percent of its imported wheat from Russia.

Speaking of first basemen

I pulled six names out of the air; four first basemen considered excellent fielders and a couple considered butchers.

The excellent ones:

Lou Gehrig -- .991 fielding percentgage, 193 errors in 2,137 games.

Steve Garvey -- .996, 81 errors in 2,059 games

Albert Pujols -- .994

Frank Torre -- .993

The butchers:

Dick Stuart, whom other players would greet with "Give me some iron" -- .982

Joe Pepitone, AKA Dr. Strangeglove -- .993

Etten's .988 is not good; maybe in the high butcher category.

If Torrre's .993 is considered good fielding, why was Pepitone considered a butcher at first? Maybe it was the 1963 World Series game in Los Angeles, when Pepitone lost a ball in the background of white shirts.

Stats at www.baseball-almanac.com

The pot and the kettle and all that

“Nick Etten’s glove fields better with Etten out of it.” – Pirates pitcher Joe Trimble (1952) in Baseball’s Greatest Quotes (1982).

Etten played nine seasons (1938-1947) in the major leagues, with both Philadelphia teams and the Yankees. His lifetime batting average was .277. In 1943 and 1945, he had more than 100 runs batted in. In 903 games at first base, Etten made 107 errors, for a .988 fielding average. Not all that great for a first baseman, whose primary job in the field is to catch a thrown ball.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=ettenni01

Joe Trimble, he of the great quote, played major league ball in 1955 for the Red Sox and 1957 for the Pirates. He was a pitcher. He won 0 games and lost two and posted an ERA of 7.48. Trimble’s fielding average was .875.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=trimbjo01



A lot of this country is way, way out there

Stella, Nebraska

Zip Code 68442. By 2010 census: 152 people, 78 households and 51 families. Per capita income, $16,839. Stella’s 2000 population was 220.

http://casde.unl.edu/history/counties/richardson/stella/

In other news, the city council in August 2013 approved several new windows for the Auburn Senior Center.

http://www.topix.com/city/stella-ne#!

Stella is in Richardson County, which is the southeast corner county, with Kansas to the south and Missouri to the east. By the 2010 census, the county population was 8,363 -- 11,463 less than its 1930 population of 19,826.

“The lowest point in the state of Nebraska is located on the Missouri River, in Richardson County, where it flows out of Nebraska and into Missouri and Kansas.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richardson_County,_Nebraska