Before you had an iPhone that call any song up instantly, it took an effort to listen to specific music. And this was a song that always comes along as the year ends, and we look back at the previous year. In the case of this song, to a memory of "the one that you let get away," if you will. The lyrics are perfect, the story of two former lovers meeting by complete coincidence, and the years are irrelevant, and the memories fresh as today.
As the year ends, 2020 arrives, and we get ready for the resolutions, sit back and enjoy the end of year classic. Dan Fogelberg, Same Old Lang Syne.
Happy New Year.
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Monday, December 30, 2019
The false god of diversity über alles...
In November, 2009, Major Nidal Hasan murdered 13 Americans at Fort Hood, Texas, screaming "'Allahu Akba!" In the immediate aftermath, as it was discovered how his problematic behavior was known and swept under the rug, the then Army Chief of Staff made a disgusting statement. As the bodies had not even been removed (only slight exaggeration), he showed what he was concerned about:
Well, move on, we find one criminal act after another of un-assimilated foreigners, the thought that "diversity" is not all that it's cracked up to be. In the last two months, we've had multiple attacks on Jews in New York, and it's a "diverse" group of attackers. Well, found this article earlier today, and it's interesting:
Disagreement, "diversity" of skin color, religion, etc, is not a strength. Diversity of thought is a strength. Also, tolerance and acceptance of different peoples, religions, etc, is a strength. Knowing a black man can work well with a white woman, etc, is good and helpful. More on this later.
Deliberately so. They cannot appeal to the broad population as a whole, so it must divide into groups and play them against each other. See Rules for Radicals.
Excellent look at how the idol worship of the outer self is destroying our nation. A point Mr. Simon made is "E pluribus unum” (out of many one)" has largely disappeared. The American melting pot has been replaced with a salad bowl. Instead of assimilating into America as a whole, we keep the groups separate and against each other. And it's a result of deliberate action of the federal government.
In reference to my comment on diversity, tolerance, etc, I recall the wisdom of my last professor of military science (PMS) at Tulane University. He was a Special Forces officer, a Vietnam veteran, and he grew up in the Army of the 60s and 70s. The one that was broken by, among other things, racism. Now the ROTC detachment he headed covered six universities around New Orleans, including 3 traditionally black colleges. When we did operations, field problems, etc, the PMS instructed his staff, "Mix every university, insure we have blacks from one college working with whites from another, women with men, etc. They will be leading a mixed army, they need to know how to be comfortable and competent with people not like them." That was intelligence guided by experience and wisdom. Unlike the race baiting poverty industry we have now.
.”“You know, there’s been a lot of speculation going on and probably the curiosity is a good thing,” said Casey of accused killer Nidal Malik Hasan. “But we have to be careful because we can’t jump to conclusions now based on little snippets of information that come out. And frankly, I am worried — not worried, not worried, but I’m concerned — that this increased speculation could cause a backlash against some of our Muslim soldiers and I’ve asked our army leaders to be on the look out for that. it would be a shame — as great a tragedy as this was — it would be a shame if our diversity became a casualty as well
Well, move on, we find one criminal act after another of un-assimilated foreigners, the thought that "diversity" is not all that it's cracked up to be. In the last two months, we've had multiple attacks on Jews in New York, and it's a "diverse" group of attackers. Well, found this article earlier today, and it's interesting:
Diversity Obsession Partly to Blame for Rise in Anti-Semitism
Roger L. Simon
The horrible attack on a Jewish shul in Monsey, New York on the seventh night of Hanukkah is not directly connected to the atmosphere on American campuses and, sadly, in certain quarters of the U.S. Congress. But they are of a piece spiritually and psychologically.
Something is drastically wrong. The canary in the coal mine (Jews first, others later) is back. It’s permissible to slur Jews and to beat or stab them (five different violent incidents during this Hanukkah alone in the New York City area). Jewish students on college campuses are hiding their religious affiliation as they cross the green to class.
Why now? What has caused all this?
It’s not the sole reason, but I am going to say something outrageous to some. It is the worship of diversity. Note that word—worship.
Diversity is by itself a good thing. We are a diverse society. As many have said, that’s part of our strength...
Disagreement, "diversity" of skin color, religion, etc, is not a strength. Diversity of thought is a strength. Also, tolerance and acceptance of different peoples, religions, etc, is a strength. Knowing a black man can work well with a white woman, etc, is good and helpful. More on this later.
"...What has developed in recent decades, however, is the elevation of diversity above all. The slogan “E pluribus unum” (out of many one) has virtually disappeared from our country, the “unum” pushed to irrelevance.
Everywhere we go these days, diversity is counted and measured ad nauseum. How many of this group? How many of that group? It’s an obsession.
Where you worship diversity, there will always be winners and losers in that diversity. Like it or not, it creates a pecking order. And these pecking orders are reinforced, consciously and unconsciously, by our media, entertainment, and the academy.
And, naturally enough, out of pecking orders, hatreds (or old hatreds, as in the case of anti-Semitism) emerge.
Today’s Democratic Party with its devotion to and reliance on identity politics fans these hatreds, deliberately or not....
Deliberately so. They cannot appeal to the broad population as a whole, so it must divide into groups and play them against each other. See Rules for Radicals.
...How absurd and morally and psychologically damaging this is when we are all humans with nearly identical DNA. It’s a reactionary and proto-fascist idea masquerading as progressive. It is, in essence, a new form of segregationism.
Yet it has spread and been transmogrified to many aspects of our society. Identity is everywhere. Even the recent killings at the New Jersey kosher market were motivated by some people thinking they were the real Jews and the other people weren’t. How crazy is that!...
Excellent look at how the idol worship of the outer self is destroying our nation. A point Mr. Simon made is "E pluribus unum” (out of many one)" has largely disappeared. The American melting pot has been replaced with a salad bowl. Instead of assimilating into America as a whole, we keep the groups separate and against each other. And it's a result of deliberate action of the federal government.
In reference to my comment on diversity, tolerance, etc, I recall the wisdom of my last professor of military science (PMS) at Tulane University. He was a Special Forces officer, a Vietnam veteran, and he grew up in the Army of the 60s and 70s. The one that was broken by, among other things, racism. Now the ROTC detachment he headed covered six universities around New Orleans, including 3 traditionally black colleges. When we did operations, field problems, etc, the PMS instructed his staff, "Mix every university, insure we have blacks from one college working with whites from another, women with men, etc. They will be leading a mixed army, they need to know how to be comfortable and competent with people not like them." That was intelligence guided by experience and wisdom. Unlike the race baiting poverty industry we have now.
Monday, December 16, 2019
A Hail Mary that didn't work.....
The Battle of the Bulge (officially called the Ardennes Counteroffensive) started in early December 1944. Hitler hoped to catch the Allies napping. He did.
In the beginning of the operations, the US 106th Infantry Division was overrun, and the 101st Airborne Division went to secure the critical city of Bastone. And it's arguable, this was the Finest Hour, for the American Army. This week marks the 75th Anniversary of this epic battle. I think I gotta watch Pattonthis weekend.
The German's had the initial advantage of surprise, and poor weather that kept Allies air grounded. However, the German's never got to their first objective of Antwerp, and the Allies quickly recovered:
The father of a close friend was in one of Patton's "three divisions" that broke though to Bastone, relieving the 101st. The youngest veterans of that fight are now in their 90s. Damn, has time flown. But to borrow the phrase from Lincoln's Gettysburg address, "...The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here...."
To the men who have passed, Rest In Peace. To those who are still here, thank you is all we can say. God knows, we can never repay our dept to you.
In the beginning of the operations, the US 106th Infantry Division was overrun, and the 101st Airborne Division went to secure the critical city of Bastone. And it's arguable, this was the Finest Hour, for the American Army. This week marks the 75th Anniversary of this epic battle. I think I gotta watch Pattonthis weekend.
‘Nuts!’ US troops thwarted Hitler’s last gamble 75 years ago
BASTOGNE, Belgium (AP) — Pvt. Arthur Jacobson was seeking cover in the snow behind a tank moving slowly through the wooded hills of Belgium's Ardennes, German bullets whizzing by.
That was when he lost his best friend and Bazooka team partner to sniper fire. “They couldn't hit him, he shouted," Jacobson said wistfully. “Those were his last words.”
The recollection of his worst day in the Battle of the Bulge still haunts him, three quarters of a century later during the first return of the 95-year-old to the battlefield....
The fighting in the bitterly cold winter of 1944 was unforgiving to the extreme...
...What Jacobson didn't know then was that he was part of the battle to contain Nazi Germany's desperate last offensive that Adolf Hitler hoped would become his version of the Allies' D-Day: A momentous thrust that would change the course of World War II by forcing U.S. and British troops to sue for peace, thus freeing Germany to focus on rapidly advancing Soviet armies in the east.
“WE WERE THERE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT"
The Battle of the Bulge "is arguably the greatest battle in American military history,” according to the U.S. army historical center. Such perspective came only later to Jacobson, who was barely 20 at the time.
“They really didn't tell us anything," he said . "The Germans had attacked through Belgium, and we were there to do something about it.”
Out of the blue at dawn on Dec. 16, 1944, over 200,000 German troops counter-attacked across the front line in Belgium and Luxembourg, smashing into battle-weary US soldiers positioned in terrain as foreign to them as it was familiar to the Germans.
Yet somehow, the Americans blunted the advance and started turning back the enemy for good, setting allied troops on a roll that would end the war in Europe less than five months later.
This battle gained fame not so much for the commanders' tactics as for the resilience of small units hampered by poor communications that stood shoulder to shoulder to deny Hitler the quick breakthrough he desperately needed. Even though the Americans were often pushed back, they were able to delay the German advance in its crucial initial stages. The tipping point was to come later...
...“The thought was that Germany was on its knees and could no longer raise a big army,”said Mathieu Billa, director of the Bastogne War Museum.
Still, Hitler believed Germany could turn the tide, and centered on regaining the northern Belgian port of Antwerp with a push through the sparsely populated Ardennes.
The 120-mile (170 kilometer) dash seemed so fanciful that few of Hitler's own generals believed in it, let alone the allied command. Allied intelligence heard something might be afoot, but even on the eve of the attack the U.S. VIII Corps daily note said that "There is nothing to report."
For days to follow, the only reports would be bad for U.S. troops retreating amid word that SS troops were executing their prisoners — like at Malmedy, where 80 surrendered soldiers were murdered in a frozen field...
...Nowhere was that tipping point more visible than in the southern Ardennes town of Bastogne, where surrounded U.S. troops were cut off for days with little ammunition or food.
When Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe of the 101st Airborne received a Dec. 22 ultimatum to surrender or face total destruction, he offered one of the most famous — and brief — replies in military history: “”Nuts.""
Four days later, Patton's troops broke the encirclement. And so it went with the Battle of the Bulge too, with the U.S. troops gaining momentum after Christmas...
The German's had the initial advantage of surprise, and poor weather that kept Allies air grounded. However, the German's never got to their first objective of Antwerp, and the Allies quickly recovered:
...firm resistance by various isolated units provided time for the U.S. First and Ninth Armies to shift against the northern flank of the penetration, for the British to send reserves to secure the line to the Meuse, and for Patton's Third Army to hit the salient from the south. Denied vital roads and hampered by air attack when the weather cleared, the German attack resulted only in a large bulge in the Allied lines which did not even extend to the Meuse River, the Germans' first objective. The Americans suffered some 75,000 casualties in the Battle of the Bulge, but the Germans lost 80,000 to l00,000. German strength had been irredeemably impaired. By the end of January 1945, American units had retaken all ground they had lost, and the defeat of Germany was clearly only a matter of time. In the east the Red Army had opened a winter offensive that was to carry, eventually, to and beyond Berlin.
The father of a close friend was in one of Patton's "three divisions" that broke though to Bastone, relieving the 101st. The youngest veterans of that fight are now in their 90s. Damn, has time flown. But to borrow the phrase from Lincoln's Gettysburg address, "...The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here...."
To the men who have passed, Rest In Peace. To those who are still here, thank you is all we can say. God knows, we can never repay our dept to you.
Friday, December 13, 2019
An incredible version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Sometimes when you don't look, you find.
I was watching YouTube last week and found this performance of the George Harrison classic by pure accident. From the 2003 Concert for George, the list of performers is like a who's who of multiple musical halls of fame. Both living Beetles (Paul McCartney on piano, Ringo Starr on drums), George Harrison's son Dhani and ELO founder Jeff Lynne on guitar, and on lead vocals and guitar, the only three time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Slow Hand himself, Eric Clapton.
Towards the end (5:45), I love the look on Clapton's face, after he's been on a two minute tear on his guitar, "TOP THIS MOTHER F&*(ER!"
Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
I was watching YouTube last week and found this performance of the George Harrison classic by pure accident. From the 2003 Concert for George, the list of performers is like a who's who of multiple musical halls of fame. Both living Beetles (Paul McCartney on piano, Ringo Starr on drums), George Harrison's son Dhani and ELO founder Jeff Lynne on guitar, and on lead vocals and guitar, the only three time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Slow Hand himself, Eric Clapton.
Towards the end (5:45), I love the look on Clapton's face, after he's been on a two minute tear on his guitar, "TOP THIS MOTHER F&*(ER!"
Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
Monday, December 9, 2019
OK. a Christian church is lying about the birth of Christ...
Again, the People's Democratic Republic of Kalifornia comes through. Whenever you think they have hit rock bottom, someone takes out a pick ax, or a jackhammer (coal powered, of course) and goes deeper.
At the Claremont United Methodist Church, a "nativity" scene. I amazes me that anyone with a basic knowledge of the Bible knows Mary and Joseph did not invade another nation, they were in Bethlehem to participate in a census and pay their taxes. But never let realty get in the way of political correctness. And where is Americans United for Separation of Church and State on this? Isn't a "church" getting involved in a political issue here?
BTY libtards, it was B Hussein Obama who put the illegal aliens into cages.
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Tell me Chicago is not a war zone...
I recall the experience of Brigadier General James Dozier, who was kidnapped in 1981 by the Red Brigade in Italy. In the 42 days he was held hostage, he found out how easy he was to track. He left his apartment almost every day at the same time (plus or minus 10 minutes), took the same route, left the office at almost the same time every day, etc. Helps the bad guys to know where the target is.
CBS Chicago, Friday, December 6, 2019:
CBS Chicago, Friday, December 6, 2019:
Off-duty Chicago police officer followed from station, shot at The officer was not injured in the attack Yesterday at 11:20 AMEver now and then I remind my officers to vary where they take a break, where they sit in the restaurant, where they do their reports, as this may make you more vulnerable. Thankfully I'm in Houston where the population is supportive of my officers. Unfortunately, our Blue family in the Windy City has more issues. It's bad we have to practice antiterrorism techniques in our third largest city.
PoliceOne Staff
CHICAGO — An off-duty Chicago police officer was followed and shot at after he left his station Tuesday night.
According to CBS 2, police say the shooting happened after a man jumped out of a gray Dodge Caravan and began firing at the officer’s vehicle. A former police officer who lived nearby and heard the shooting, but didn’t want to identify himself to media, said he heard “at least twelve” gunshots.
“It sounded like an automatic,” the former officer told CBS 2. “The first thing I did was duck away from the window. I did hit the floor.”
Officials told CBS 2 the shooter got back into the Caravan and drove away. The off-duty officer was uninjured and did not fire his weapon during the attack. Police have yet to make an arrest in the case.
Friday, December 6, 2019
I know I love my niece. I am missing this bucket list item for her wedding...
Almost a quarter century ago, my brothers, their wives, a friend of mine, and I attended the Hell Freezes Over Tour of the Eagles, the reunion Don Henley swore would never happen. But when I heard they had reunited, I called my brother Bobby and said, "As broke as I am, if I have to rob an old woman for her Social Security check, I'll do it to make this concert!" And one my of life's objectives was achieved.
Fast forward a 24 years, and I was hoping to see Kansas. Alas, they will be here the weekend of Jessica's wedding. You know I must love you if I'm missing this!
Real rock and roll, from a legendary band. Enjoy their signature song, Carry on Wayward Son.
I'm hoping they extend the tour in 2020! Have a great weekend!
Fast forward a 24 years, and I was hoping to see Kansas. Alas, they will be here the weekend of Jessica's wedding. You know I must love you if I'm missing this!
Real rock and roll, from a legendary band. Enjoy their signature song, Carry on Wayward Son.
I'm hoping they extend the tour in 2020! Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Officer Down
Detective Christopher CranstonRest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch
New York City Police Department, New York
End of Watch Saturday, July 20, 2019
Age 48
Detective Christopher Cranston died as the result of cancer that he developed following his assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.
Detective Cranston is survived by his wife.
On the morning of September 11th, 2001, seventy-two officers from a total of eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed when terrorist hijackers working for the al Qaeda terrorist network, headed by Osama bin Laden, crashed four hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
After the impact of the first plane into the World Trade Center's North Tower, putting the safety of others before their own, law enforcement officers along with fire and EMS personnel, rushed to the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to aid the victims and lead them to safety. Due to their quick actions, it is estimated that over 25,000 people were saved.
As the evacuation continued, the South Tower unexpectedly collapsed as a result of the intense fire caused by the impact. The North Tower collapsed a short time later. Seventy-one law enforcement officers, 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and over 2,800 civilians were killed at the World Trade Center site.
A third hijacked plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania when the passengers attempted to re-take control of the plane. One law enforcement officer, who was a passenger on the plane, was killed in that crash.
The fourth hijacked plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, killing almost 200 military and civilian personnel. No law enforcement officers were killed at the Pentagon on 9/11.
The terrorist attacks resulted in the declaration of war against the Taliban regime, the illegal rulers of Afghanistan, and the al Qaeda terrorist network which also was based in Afghanistan.
On September 9th, 2005, all of the public safety officers killed on September 11th, 2001, were posthumously awarded the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor by President George W. Bush.
The contamination in the air at the World Trade Center site caused many rescue personnel to become extremely ill and eventually led to the death of several rescue workers.
On May 1st, 2011 members of the United States military conducted a raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden.
Nemo me impune lacessit
Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.
Monday, December 2, 2019
Officer Down
Sergeant Michael StephenRest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch
Stone County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas
End of Watch Thursday, July 18, 2019
Age 56
Tour 20 years
Sergeant Mike Stephen was shot and killed while responding to a domestic incident at a home in the area of 2020 Flag Road at about 9:00 am.
He was speaking to a female in the front yard when another subject opened fire, striking Sergeant Stephen and the woman. The subject who shot Sergeant Stephen was found dead by responding deputies.
Sergeant Stephen was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Stone County Sheriff's Office for 20 years. He also served as chief of the Pineville Fire Department and had previously served with the Arkansas Department of Correction. He is survived by his wife.
Nemo me impune lacessit
Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.
Even for the ultra PC crowd, this is ridiculus.
Mispronounced names are the latest form of racism. Another case of you can't believe they are this ridiculous. It's something so preposterous it has to be federally funded. Oh, yea, it comes from an NPR podcast
When I was in Kuwait (2005/06) I met a Navy lieutenant commander with a Polish last name, about 15 letters long. I asked how it was pronounced, and he said it. I lost lost track after the third syllable, and I said, "Ski, yea, got it!" He laughed and said that was what most people called him. We shook hands, introduced ourselves, talked about having unusual names for a few minutes, and went on with our day.
My last name has been mispronounced (FYI, it's Parisian French) for my entire life. I once had it butchered by the announcer at the Superdome in New Orleans when I commanded the Army ROTC Color Guard at a Saints game. And my vagina was never in pain (I'm rephrasing it to be decent) over that. Grow up children, if someone mispronounces your name, politely correct them. If you accidentally mispronounce theirs, don't take offense when they correct you. Otherwise, go back to your safe space and leave the world to the adults.
The racist practice of mispronouncing names
When Zuheera Ali walks into a coffee shop, she stands outside the door, opens her wallet, takes out her card, figures out exactly what she wants to order, and she reminds herself: ‘You’re Billy. You’re Billy.’
The barista doesn't believe her, of course. But they can’t do anything about it.
As her co-host Keya Roy says, "You can be whoever you want because you will never see this barista again..."
...Kumar remembers a time in second grade when she had to give a PowerPoint presentation in front of her class: “I was standing in front of my classmates and my teacher had turned on autocorrect. The first slide was just supposed to be my name, but was corrected to read ‘Media K-Mart.’ It was so embarrassing.”
Keya Roy says she has stopped correcting her teachers when they mispronounce her name. “At some point, it’s just futile,” Roy says.
Zuheera Ali says she was never one to let someone say her name wrong.
"My name is my identity, and allowing someone else to say it wrong is stripping me of that," she says. "I feel like as a woman of color, I’m expected to make these changes, especially when I’m at school. But asking me to make my name easier to pronounce is a very unfair way that I have to change."
Says co-host Keya Roy: “I always felt like by giving into that pressure to conform and allowing my name to be butchered, I was somehow making life easier for others...
"My name is a way to push me aside, and most of the time, the people who are doing this don't realize the damage they could be doing to my self-worth and sense of confidence."
"People will try to — as a blatant sign of disrespect — mispronounce my name or mock my name," Oluo says. "I get that on social media all the time."
Oluo says people on social media will "deliberately, wildly misspell my name to show to other people how serious must I be taken if I don't even have what they would consider to be a serious name. It's racist at its core to think that other cultures names are invalid. It's othering and purposefully disrespectful, and it's often used as a weapon against me."
She continues: "It's my name and I won't let anyone take that from me..."
"The changing of peoples names has a racialized history," said Kohli. "It's grounded in slavery — the renaming during slavery — renaming Americanization schools for Latinx communities and indigenous communities, and so there is a lot of history that's tied to this practice that is directly tied to racism."
This history is painful even though it seems so far in the past, Zuheera Ali says. But history is not removed for many African-Americans, many of whom don't know their ancestors' names and carry the names of slave owners...
When I was in Kuwait (2005/06) I met a Navy lieutenant commander with a Polish last name, about 15 letters long. I asked how it was pronounced, and he said it. I lost lost track after the third syllable, and I said, "Ski, yea, got it!" He laughed and said that was what most people called him. We shook hands, introduced ourselves, talked about having unusual names for a few minutes, and went on with our day.
My last name has been mispronounced (FYI, it's Parisian French) for my entire life. I once had it butchered by the announcer at the Superdome in New Orleans when I commanded the Army ROTC Color Guard at a Saints game. And my vagina was never in pain (I'm rephrasing it to be decent) over that. Grow up children, if someone mispronounces your name, politely correct them. If you accidentally mispronounce theirs, don't take offense when they correct you. Otherwise, go back to your safe space and leave the world to the adults.