Friday, May 31, 2013

Battle of Jutland -May 31, 1916

Just before four o'clock on the afternoon of May 31, 1916, a British naval force commanded by Vice Admiral David Beatty confronts a squadron of German ships, led by Admiral Franz von Hipper, some 75 miles off the Danish coast. The two squadrons opened fire on each other simultaneously, beginning the opening phase of the greatest naval battle of World War I, the Battle of Jutland.

After the Battle of Dogger Bank in January 1915, the German navy chose not to confront the numerically superior British Royal Navy in a major battle for more than a year, preferring to rest the bulk of its strategy at sea on its lethal U-boat submarines. In May 1916, however, with the majority of the British Grand Fleet anchored far away, at Scapa Flow, off the northern coast of Scotland, the commander of the German High Seas Fleet, Vice Admiral Reinhard Scheer, believed the time was right to resume attacks on the British coastline. Confident that his communications were securely coded, Scheer ordered 19 U-boat submarines to position themselves for a raid on the North Sea coastal city of Sunderland while using air reconnaissance crafts to keep an eye on the British fleet's movement from Scapa Flow. Bad weather hampered the airships, however, and Scheer called off the raid, instead ordering his fleet—24 battleships, five battle cruisers, 11 light cruisers and 63 destroyers—to head north, to the Skagerrak, a waterway located between Norway and northern Denmark, off the Jutland Peninsula, where they could attack Allied shipping interests and with luck, punch a hole in the stringent British blockade.

Unbeknownst to Scheer, however, a newly created intelligence unit located within an old building of the British Admiralty, known as Room 40, had cracked the German codes and warned the British Grand Fleet's commander, Admiral John Rushworth Jellicoe, of Scheer's intentions. Consequently, on the night of May 30, a British fleet of 28 battleships, nine battle cruisers, 34 light cruisers and 80 destroyers set out from Scapa Flow, bound for positions off the Skagerrak.

At 2:20 p.m. on May 31, Beatty, leading a British squadron, spotted Hipper's warships. As each squadron maneuvered south to better its position, shots were fired, but neither side opened fire until 3:48 that afternoon. The initial phase of the gun battle lasted 55 minutes, during which two British battle cruisers, Indefatigable and Queen Mary were destroyed, killing over 2,000 sailors. At 4:43 p.m., Hipper's squadron was joined by the remainder of the German fleet, commanded by Scheer. Beatty was forced to fight a delaying action for the next hour, until Jellicoe could arrive with the rest of the Grand Fleet.

With both fleets facing off in their entirety, a great battle of naval strategy began among the four commanders, particularly between Jellicoe and Scheer. As sections of the two fleets continued to engage each other throughout the late evening and the early morning of June 1, Jellicoe maneuvered 96 of the British ships into a V-shape surrounding 59 German ships. Hipper's flagship, Lutzow, was disabled by 24 direct hits but was able, before it sank, to sink the British battle cruiser Invincible. Just after 6:30 on the evening of June 1, Scheer's fleet executed a previously planned withdrawal under cover of darkness to their base at the German port of Wilhelmshaven, ending the battle and cheating the British of the major naval success they had envisioned.

The Battle of Jutland—or the Battle of the Skagerrak, as it was known to the Germans—engaged a total of 100,000 men aboard 250 ships over the course of 72 hours. The Germans, giddy from the glory of Scheer's brilliant escape, claimed it as a victory for their High Seas Fleet. At first the British press agreed, but the truth was not so clear-cut. The German navy lost 11 ships, including a battleship and a battle cruiser, and suffered 3,058 casualties; the British sustained heavier losses, with 14 ships sunk, including three battle cruisers, and 6,784 casualties. Ten more German ships had suffered heavy damage, however, and by June 2, 1916, only 10 ships that had been involved in the battle were ready to leave port again (Jellicoe, on the other hand, could have put 23 to sea). On July 4, 1916, Scheer reported to the German high command that further fleet action was not an option, and that submarine warfare was Germany's best hope for victory at sea. Despite the missed opportunities and heavy losses, the Battle of Jutland had left British naval superiority on the North Sea intact. The German High Seas Fleet would make no further attempts to break the Allied blockade or to engage the Grand Fleet for the remainder of World War I.

 

 
Live Long and Prosper....

Thursday, May 30, 2013

We have such an efficient government

Today I thought I’d blog a few examples of how efficient our local, state and Federal Governments can be.

We pay a lot of taxes -when we're born, die, earn income, spend it, own property, sell it, attend entertainment venues, operate vehicles and pass wealth along after death, among others. But our lawmakers want more - Maryland has now added a tax on rain. To reduce stormwater runoff into the Chesapeake Bay, the Environmental Protection Agency assessed the state $14.8 billion, which the state will collect starting in July by taxing "impervious surfaces" -- any land area in its 10 largest counties that cannot directly absorb rainwater, such as roofs, driveways, patios and sidewalks.

The Washington Post reported in April that the federal government is due to spend $890,000 this year to safeguard ... nothing. The amount is the total fees for maintaining more than 13,000 short-term bank accounts the government owns but which have no money in them and never again will. Closing the accounts is easier said than done, according to the watchdog Citizens Against Government Waste, because the accounts each housed separate government grants, and Congress has required that, before the accounts are closed, the grants must be formally audited -- something bureaucrats are rarely motivated to do, at least within the 180 days set by law (though there is no penalty for missing the deadline).

It's good to be the county administrator of Alameda County, Calif. (on San Francisco Bay, south of Oakland). The San Francisco Chronicle revealed that somehow, Susan Muranishi negotiated a contract that pays her $301,000 a year, plus "equity pay" of $24,000 a year so that she makes at least 10 percent more than the next highest paid official, plus "longevity" pay of $54,000 a year, plus a car allowance -- and that she will be paid that total amount per year as her pension for life (in addition to a private pension of $46,000 a year that the county purchased for her).

The Way Washington Works:

Congress established a National Helium Reserve in 1925 in the era of "zeppelin" balloons, but most consider it no longer useful (most, that is, ranging from President Reagan to the Democratic congressman who in 1996 called it one program that, if we cannot undo it, "we cannot undo anything"). The House of Representatives recently voted 394-1 to continue funding it because of "fears" of a shortage that might affect MRI machines and, of course, party balloons. (Thank the Lord, I don't want anything to interfere with my being able to imitate a chipmunk...)

In a rare (these days) bipartisan action, congressional military "experts" of both parties are about to force the Army to continue building Abrams tanks -- even though the Army has said it doesn't need them and doesn't want them! The tank manufactures, of course, have convinced Congress that it needs the contracts, no matter what the Army says....
 




Live Long and Prosper...

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Star Trek: Into Darkness -My Take....


I went to see Star Trek: Into Darkness last week and I wanted to use my blog today to give you “My Take” on it (as if you asked...).

 I am from the generation that can remember watching the original TV series and being an instant Star Trek fan (later on they started calling us “Trekies").  In all honesty, my love of the series and the movies faded over time. I still enjoyed them, but the farther away from the original concept they grew, the less of a “Trekie” I became. When JJ Abrams brought the last Star Trek movie to the screen, reintroducing the original (albeit younger versions) crew members, I was doubtful he could do it successfully. I am glad to say that I was wrong. The casting, acting and writing were superb. I was instantly transformed into a full “Trekie” once again. Now the next (and hopefully not last) installment has come to life with Star Trek: Into Darkness.

Once again, however, I had my doubts. Could they remain true to the original character personalities? Could they keep the little nods back to the original series? Could the acting resist the temptation to become “hammy” (as happened to William Shatner when he became more of a caricature of Kirk)? I had serious doubts. I was pretty sure I was going to have to make allowances. Once again in the history of mankind, I was wrong. They stayed true –and even improved on the characters. Kirk (Chris Pine) is wilder, more unpredictable, and more likeable. Spock (Zachary Quinto) is even more “Spock” (if that’s possible) and Bones, Sulu and Chekov are, well, great (and my personal favorite is fast becoming Scotty).

I want to tell you about the movie –but there are so many twists and turns that I can hardly say a word without giving something away –and I think you’ll enjoy it more if you don’t know what’s coming.

I will mention the Villain. The one thing I had learned ahead of time is who the villain turns out to be –and I’d have liked it better if I had not known. I will only say –It works. I also found out who was playing the villain, and frankly I could not imagine it. The actor is Benedict Cumberbatch, an English actor who plays a young and modern version of Sherlock Holmes in “Sherlock” a Mystery Masterpiece series on PBS (if you haven’t seen it yet, try –you’ll like it). I really like him, but I just could not imagine him being able to pull off this particular villain (a character very, very well defined by another actor). Och, wrong again! He does a magnificent job!

Star Trek: Into Darkness is a fun roller coaster ride of suspense and action, complete with stellar performances, impressive special effects and a glorious score. If you get a chance –go see it on the big screen with all the sound and visual effects wrapping around you as they are designed to do! You’ll definitely enjoy a good movie experience!




Live Long and Prosper...

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

China in Pakistan–Good and Bad for US

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in the Pakistan capital under extra-tight security on Wednesday on the second leg of his first official trip since taking office in March after a visit to Pakistan's and China's arch rival, India.

Li's plane was escorted by six air force fighter jets as it entered Pakistan air space. Security measures also included shutting down mobile phone networks across the city.

China and Pakistan should make cooperation on power generation a priority, Li said, as Islamabad seeks to end an energy crisis that triggers power cuts of up to 20 hours a day, bringing the economy to a near standstill.

Pakistan was one of the first countries to switch diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China, in 1950, and Li told a lunch attended by Prime Minister-elect Nawaz Sharif and President Asif Zardari that China and Pakistan should remain “trustworthy partners" and good neighbors. He said there was still "great potential" for the relationship. Bilateral trade last year rose above $12 billion for the first time and both sides are aiming to reach $15 billion in the next two or three years. "Our two sides should focus on carrying out priority projects in connectivity, energy development and power generation and promoting the building of a China-Pakistan economic corridor," Li said.

The power shortages have sparked violent protests and crippled key industries, costing hundreds of thousands of jobs in a country already beset by high unemployment, a failing economy, widespread poverty, sectarian bloodshed and a Taliban insurgency.

China and Pakistan already have several joint energy and infrastructure projects under way. The most important (and most troubling to the United States and to India) is China’s taking over operation of the strategically important Gwadar port.

When complete the port will open an energy and trade corridor from the Gulf, across Pakistan to western China.  It will be used by the Chinese Navy giving them a base of operations in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistan is going through a turbulent chapter in its ties with the United States, which plans to withdraw most of its troops from neighboring Afghanistan in 2014. Many U.S. officials have questioned Pakistan's commitment to fighting Islamic militancy since U.S. forces tracked down and killed Osama bin Laden in a garrison town near Islamabad two years ago.

China's Xinhua state news agency said Beijing was looking for "pragmatic" military cooperation with Pakistan, "which is in the front line of the fight against international terrorism".

The good news for the United States is that China will now come even more directly exposed to the problem of Islamic Militancy. It is not widely publicized but they have been experiencing increasing problems with Islamic radicals and terrorists in their Western Provinces. A substantial increase in their presence in both Pakistan and Afghanistan as the U.S. withdraws will put them in the cross hairs of both Al Qaeda and the Taliban. An example of what China may be facing happened in southern Karachi on Tuesday. A roadside bomb exploded near the seafront which police said was aimed at a passing van full of Chinese port workers.

One other “good” aspect to all of this is that China has a vested interest in keeping Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal out of the hands of the terrorists –something that keeps American and Indian officials awake at night,,,,
As for a Chinese Naval strategic base of operations in the Port of Gwadar, that’s not that big a deal, certainly not something the US Navy needs to be overly concerned about. And the good news there is that as China interest in keeping an economic corridor open through the Straits of Hormuz, their interest in keeping Iran from acting up will also increase.

All in all, I think that we (Americans) are over-exposed in the Middle East and I like the idea that we are reducing our presence there. If China wants to “fill the void” as we leave – fine. I wouldn’t mind at all sitting on the sidelines and watching them “take a ride on that tiger”…..


 
Live Long and Prosper...

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Let’s Have a Military Laugh

Memorial Weekend is coming up and I thought it’d be a good time for a little military humor. I ran across this “joke piece” on StrategyPage's Military Jokes and Military Humor and laughed so hard I wanted to share it with you:

New British Destroyer
Press Release to coincide with the introduction of the new Type 45 Destroyers.

Details have been released regarding Britain's introduction of the next generation of fighting ships. The Royal Navy is proud of the cutting edge capability of the fleet of Type 45 destroyers. Costing £750 million, they have been designed to meet the needs of the 21st century; in addition to state of the art technology, weaponry, and guidance systems, the ships will comply with the very latest employment, equality, health & safety and human rights legislation.
They will be able to remain at sea for several months and positively bristle with facilities. For instance, the new user friendly crow's nest comes equipped with wheelchair access. Live ammunition has been replaced with paintballs to reduce the risk of anyone getting hurt and to cut down on the number of compensation claims. Stress councillors and lawyers will be on duty 24hrs a day, and each ship will have its own onboard industrial tribunal.

The crew will be 50/50 men and women, and balanced in accordance with the latest Home Office directives on race, gender, sexuality, and disability. Sailors will only have to work a maximum of 37hrs per week in line with Brussels Health& Safety rules even in wartime! All bunks will be double occupancy, and the destroyers will all come equipped with a maternity ward situated on the same deck as the Gay Disco. Tobacco will be banned throughout the ship, but cannabis will be allowed in the Officer's Wardroom. The Royal Navy is eager to shed its traditional reputation for "Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash". Out goes the occasional rum ration which is to be replaced by Perrier water, although sodomy remains, this has now been extended to include all ratings under 18. The lash will still be available but only by request.
Saluting officers has been abolished because it is elitist; it is to be replaced by the more informal "Hello Sailor". All notices on boards will be printed in 37 different languages and Braille. Crew members will no longer be required to ask permission to grow beards or moustaches, even the women. The MOD is working on a new "Non specific" flag based on the controversial British Airways "Ethnic" tailfin design, because the White Ensign is considered to be offensive to minorities. The ship is due to be launched soon in a ceremony conducted by Captain Hook from the Finsbury Park Mosque who will break a petrol bomb over the hull. The ship will gently slide into the water to the tune of "In the Navy" by the Village People played by the band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines.

Sea Trials are expected to take place, when the first of the new destroyers HMS Cautious, sets out on her maiden mission. It will be escorting boat loads of illegal immigrants across the channel to ports on the south coast. The Prime Minister said that "While the ships reflected the very latest of modern thinking they were also capable of being up-graded to comply with any new legislation". His final words were "Britain never, never waives the rules!"
Live Long and Prosper....

Saturday, May 25, 2013

May 25th, 1977: Star Wars Premiers


On this day in 1977, Memorial Day weekend opens with an intergalactic bang as the first of George Lucas' blockbuster Star Wars movies hits American theaters.

The incredible success of Star Wars--it received seven Oscars, and earned $461 million in U.S. ticket sales and a gross of close to $800 million worldwide--began with an extensive, coordinated marketing push by Lucas and his studio, 20th Century Fox, months before the movie's release date. "It wasn't like a movie opening," actress Carrie Fisher, who played rebel leader Princess Leia, later told Time magazine. "It was like an earthquake." Beginning with--in Fisher's words--"a new order of geeks, enthusiastic young people with sleeping bags," the anticipation of a revolutionary movie-watching experience spread like wildfire, causing long lines in front of movie theaters across the country and around the world
                      -and I was one of them! I remember standing in line for 4 hours outside a theater in San Fransisco with 3 friends to see it that day. There was a liquor store on the corner and we kept warm by passing around a bottle of Schnapes, which we shared with other crazy people standing out in the wind.

But it was worth it! With its groundbreaking special effects, Star Wars leaped off screens and immersed audiences in "a galaxy far, far away." By now everyone knows the story, which followed the baby-faced Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) as he enlisted a team of allies--including Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and the robots C3PO and R2D2--on his mission to rescue the kidnapped Princess Leia from an Evil Empire governed by Darth Vader. The film made all three of its lead actors overnight stars, turning Fisher into an object of adoration for millions of young male fans and launching Ford's now-legendary career as an action-hero heartthrob.

Star Wars was soon a bona-fide pop culture phenomenon. Over the years it has spawned five more feature films, five TV series and an entire industry's worth of comic books, toys, video games and other products. Two big-screen sequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and The Return of the Jedi (1983), featured much of the original cast and enjoyed the same success--both critical and commercial--as the first film. In 1999, Lucas stretched back in time for the fourth installment, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, chronologically a prequel to the original movie. Two other prequels, Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005) followed.

The latter Star Wars movies featured a new cast--including Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen--and have generally failed to earn the same amount of critical praise as the first three films. They continue to score at the box office, however, with Revenge of the Sith becoming the top-grossing film of 2005 in the United States and the second worldwide.



By-the-way, take a look at this picture. Anyone look famiiar?





Live Long and Prosper...
(I know. Star Trek, not Stars Wars. OK, MAY THE FORCE BE WITH  YOU... Happy now?)

Friday, May 24, 2013

Let’s Observe Memorial Day Properly

Have a Happy
Memorial Day Holiday!

This year
Memorial Day Weekend begins Saturday, May 25, 2012, and ends Monday, May 27, 2012.. In preparation for the first 3 day holiday weekend of the summer our retail brethren are going nuts. We have already seen the piles of junk mail and email heading towards our mail boxes offering us astonishingly good, discounted, prices on everything from new cars to underwear. Memorial Day has morphed into just another holiday, a good excuse to have a sale or to go sailing. A time when more people are celebrating an extra day off work with pay than are taking a moment to do what the holiday was intended for – honor the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could enjoy that day off free to do as we please.

Memorial Day was originally called “Decoration Day”. It was born in the late 1860’s when many communities started holding separate remembrances and began “decorating” the graves of the fallen heroes, both union and confederate, of the Civil War. On May 5th, 1868 General John Logan, Commanding General of the Army of the Republic, issued his “General Order #11” proclaiming 30 May 1868 as the first official day when flowers were to be placed on all of the graves (north and south) of the soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery. New York became the first state to officially recognize the day in 1873 and was followed by 1890 by all of the states in the north. Lingering hard feelings had Southern States refusing to hold observances on the same day and choose various other days instead -- until after World War I when the day changed from remembering the fallen from the Civil War to honoring the dead from all wars and conflicts. 

In 1915 a woman named Moina Michael read the poem “In Flanders Fields” and was inspired to write:
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
She then began the tradition of wearing red poppies to commemorate Memorial Day. She sold red poppies to her friends and used the money to help veterans in need. That tradition was picked up in France and Belgium where red poppies are sold to this day and the proceeds are used to help war orphans.

Memorial Day was officially made a federal holiday in 1967 and the following year it was included in an act which made the observance celebrated on the following Monday of each year (allowing for a 3 day weekend). This has resulted in many people forgetting what the holiday is in honor of. Many mistakenly think it is in “honor” of the beginning of summer. To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed in December of 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

Download:
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Memorial Day should be a day of mourning. A solemn and sacred day of remembrance to honor those who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms (and we should not forget our wounded veterans whose lives have been forever altered protecting our liberty). Cities and Towns should hold parades honoring the fallen, and the parade routes should end at local cemeteries. Memorial Day speeches should be given and prayers offered up. We should take the time that day to clean and decorate with flowers and flags the graves of those that fell in service to our country. We should to remember with sincere respect those who paid the price for our freedoms. We should  never let them be forgotten. On Memorial Day we should to stop and pay our respects for those who died protecting and preserving the freedoms we enjoy. We owe those honored dead more than we can ever repay.

Over the years the original meaning and spirit of Memorial Day has faded from the public consciousness. People of other nations sometimes show more of the true spirit of Memorial Day more than we do here. For example, a 2001 U.S. Memorial Day Guest-book entry from a citizen of the Netherlands states:
"In 1999 I laid flowers at the grave of a young U.S. fighter pilot who was KIA in my village in 1945. In the Netherlands I know of schools 'adopting' graves of Allied servicemen, keeping those graves in excellent condition! Does anybody know of adopting graves in the U.S. by schools?
Sincerely,
Paul Patist
Castricum, The Netherlands - Tue May 15 04:50:29 2001"
How many graves of our fallen do we, right here in America, leave dishonored by leaving their resting places forgotten and neglected?

This year on Memorial Day, if you don’t do anything else, take a moment to just think about all those who have served our country and given the ultimate sacrifice – all those who went to so many nameless far way places and gave their lives in the name of liberty.

As for me, at that moment at 3:00 I will stop and just say quietly, under my breath, Thank You – somehow I believe they will hear me. What are you going to do?



Live Long and Prosper...

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Support a “Stupid Amendment” to the Constitution

I would like to propose an Amendment to the Constitution that I believe would further ensure and secure our freedom as American Citizens:

The government shall pass no law infringing on, or in any way restricting, the rights of a citizen of the United States of America to say stupid things, act in a stupid manner or to do stupid things so long as such actions do not result in the endangerment of other citizens or directly infringes on the rights of other citizens.”

I call it “The Stupid Amendment”.

Why do we need a “Stupid Amendment”? -Because we are a free people. We should be guaranteed the right to do something stupid if we want to --and I for one am tired of our government trying to protect me from myself by making things illegal.

Don’t drink too much soda from one glass because it’ll make you obese –and we all know obesity leads to medical conditions which insurance companies have to pay for and we all wind up paying higher premiums. Horse pucky! If you let them get away with that kind of nonsense you’ll have the government regulating the number of French Fries allowed per serving and the size of a steak served at a restaurant. Candy bars will be removed from around the checkout counters and require a parents’ permission to purchase.  Potato Chips will be a new black market item and milk shakes will be a fond memory.

They’ve already made it a law that even adults must wear a helmet when riding a bicycle. Not a good old fashioned recommendation or safety tip – a law! With crime rates rising in our cities, drive by shootings a daily occurrence, drunk drivers dying or killing others at a rate of one every hour, do we really want our police officers spending patrol time stopping adults riding bicycles because they aren’t wearing helmets? Really?

 I agree that people should wear helmets on bicycles, and seat belts in cars for that matter. Not wearing them is stupid - but damn it, we have a right to be stupid! We have a right to drink a 32 ounce soda, put salt on our French Fries or enjoy a Bacon Cheese Burger –and we don’t need the government playing nanny and passing laws to force us to conform with some vocal and politically organized health food fanatics’ ideas of how we should eat or how much weight constitutes obesity….

We have a right to be stupid –it’s an integral part of our freedom. I say stupid things and do stupid things pretty regularly (just ask my friends). The way things are going, someday they’ll be hauling my ass off to jail for smuggling M&M’s in my carry on bags…. We need to protect ourselves from all this “political correctness gone berserk”!

So I say, let’s put a stop to the nonsense and guarantee our right to be stupid. Write to your Senators and Congressional Representatives and let’s pass a “Stupid Amendment”!

 




 Live Long and Prosper...

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Today in History: Captain Kidd Hanged as a Pirate

You know, often times the legend is far more interesting than the truth. Take the story of Captain Kidd for example. After his death a colorful legend grew up around the story of William Kidd, including reports of lost buried treasure that fortune seekers have pursued for centuries and even now there are people still looking for it. The true story, however, is less romantic. Here it is:

Born in Strathclyde, Scotland, Kidd established himself as a sea captain before settling in New York in 1690, where he bought property and married. At various times he was commissioned by New York and other American colonies to rid the coast of enemy privateers. In 1695, while on a trip to London, the governor of New York commissioned him to defend English ships from pirates in the Red Sea. In 1696, Kidd sailed to New York aboard the Adventure Galley, enlisted men for the mission, and set sail for the Indian Ocean. The expedition met with little success and failed to capture a major prize until February 1698, when the Quedagh Merchant, an Indian vessel allegedly sailing under a French pass, was taken. Word of Kidd's capture of the ship, which was loaded with gold, jewels, silk, sugar, and guns, aroused significant controversy in Britain, because the ship had an English captain.

Suspicions that he had turned to piracy were apparently confirmed when he sailed to St. Mary's, Madagascar, an infamous pirate haven. From there, he traveled to the West Indies on the Quedagh Merchant, where he learned of the piracy charges against him. Intending to clear his name, he sailed to New York and delivered himself to the colonial authorities, claiming that the vessels he had attacked were lawful prizes. He was arrested and taken to London.

In 1701, he was tried on five charges of piracy and one charge of murdering a crewman. The Tories used the trial as a political opportunity to embarrass his Whig sponsors, and the latter chose to give up Kidd as a scapegoat rather than back his possibly correct claims to legitimacy. Convicted on all counts, he was executed by hanging on May 23, 1701.



Arg...Live Long and Prosper, Matey....

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Let’s not forget the 2nd Pearl Harbor Disaster

In May of 1944, preparations were underway for the US invasion of Saipan. The planned invasion force consisted of two Marine Divisions, a US Army Division, and the required force and support units from an amphibious armada of nearly 600 ships and craft. Inherent in preparing a landing force of such size was the loading and preparation of the massive supply effort to project and sustain the invasion force.

At Pearl Harbor the LSTs that would support the initial landings and follow-on operations ashore were being crammed to the gunwales with every conceivable item of warfare. That list of items included munitions of all calibers and types, propellants, aviation gasoline, vehicle fuel, and a variety of other volatile cargoes. In West Loch, more than two dozen LSTs were tightly clustered while their hulls and decks filled with ammunition, supplies, and materiel.

 On the afternoon of 21 May, 1944, while Army Ordnance troops loaded mortar ammunition on the fantail of LST-353, there was an explosion, followed by two more minutes later, that sprayed hot splinters into the highly flammable aviation drums on LST-480 and LST-39 nearby. Predictably, flaming gasoline and exploding ammunition soon began to take a frightful toll of the Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines loading and manning the ships. Fires and explosions drove back ships and craft engaged in firefighting efforts, but each time those vessels re-entered the inferno to contain the fires and keep the disaster from spreading to the rest of the Fleet anchorage.

The fires burned for more than 24 hours, finally being extinguished on the afternoon of 22 May. As the fires died away, the cost of the catastrophe was counted. One-hundred and sixty three men lost their lives, with another 400 injured, including several fighting the fires. Six LSTs were destroyed, two damaged beyond repair. Three LCTs, lashed to the decks of sunken LSTs, were also lost, as were a number of LVT’s parked nearby.
 

In examining the impact of the tragedy, there are interesting facts that stagger our concept of that war and the effort our nation put forth:

Despite the loss of virtually all of the cargo on eight LSTs and the ships themselves, the Saipan invasion force put to sea as scheduled on 5 June 1944, just as the largest invasion armada ever to sail was crossing the English Channel en route to the Normandy beaches.

Admiral Chester Nimitz, CINCPAC, was asked if the practice of “nesting” landing ships while loading such volatile cargo should be ended. Admiral Nimitz answered in the negative. The exigencies of war and the tempo demanded by the campaign in the Central Pacific required such “calculated risks”.

Neither of those occurrences is imaginable today. The loss of a single MPF ship, or a JLOTS vessel, and their respective cargoes, would likely have crippling effects on US power projection operations, even without a simultaneous and much larger effort halfway around the world. Our highly risk-averse senior military and civilian leadership would not countenance Admiral Nimitz’s willingness to assume such risk to maintain operational tempo. -Something we should think about….


 
Live Long and Prosper...

Monday, May 20, 2013

I want to talk Tyranny





I was just thinking about tyranny. Tyranny is one of those words you just don’t hear very often anymore. Lately, however, there have been a few political pundits throwing that word around because of the number of scandals besieging the White House.


I guess the word has become a little old fashioned or out of date, kind of like the word treason. We don’t accuse people of treason anymore. We charge them with “divulging confidential material harmful to the national security” or some such phrase thought up by lawyers. It’s a shame because, old fashioned or not, they both very accurately describe actions or conditions of extreme importance and consequence.

Tyranny is defined by Dictionary.com as the “arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority”. -Something we have been seeing from our government with increasing frequency. In all fairness, I think you can point to previous administrations and find isolated examples of tyrannical behavior. But the current administration apparently does not feel as restrained as previous ones and we have seen far more examples of tyrannical behavior from various governmental departments and agencies than ever before. And they are becoming increasingly frequent and blatant.

I would suggest that you could go as far back as the very beginning of the present administrations term. We had an incident of clear voter intimidation by the New Black Panther Party but the Attorney General declined to prosecute because of the racial aspects of the case. Prosecuting Blacks for voter intimidation did not fit the administrations agenda. If they had been white supremacists you can bet they’d have been tried and convicted – and that, my friends, is a form of tyranny. The government selected what laws to enforce or not enforce based soley on their political ideology. –And in abandonment of their sworn duty under the Constitution to enforce the law equally and impartially.

Other examples of tyrannical behavior have come from the EPA (creating and enforcing arbitrary regulations effecting everything from housing construction to farming), The TSA (strip searching an 80+ year old lady in a wheel chair), and even the Health and Welfare Administration (forcing families to buy school cafeteria food because the parents weren’t packing healthy enough lunches). And all of that is without even mentioning the IRSBenghazi or “Obamacare” Debacles, the Presidents' “Enemies List” or The National “No Fly List”. You don’t even know if you’re on that list until they say “too bad -no fly today". And even if it’s a mistake, as happens a lot when the government gets involved, it’s almost impossible to challenge it or have your name removed. Just ask the late Senator Ted Kennedy who turned up on the list without warning. He was stopped 5 times at airports. Even with all his political clout it took 3 weeks to get his name removed from the list!

I think one reason the word tyranny has gotten a little old fashioned is because we, as Americans, just don’t worry all that much about tyranny. In some countries a government behaving the way that ours has been lately would be facing armed insurrection. But in our country we know that within the next 4 years we’ll have a chance to change Administrations -so rebellion is not considered necessary (I am purposely ignoring the fringe elements that would love to see rebellion, chaos and anarchy in the streets regardless of what party is in power).

Having said all this and having thought this through, I still think we should apply the word tyranny when we see it. You do not have to be a tyrant to do something tyrannical –but if you do -and you get away with it- you’re very likely to keep doing tyrannical things until you get stopped. It’s exactly the same behavior you can expect from a bully. And, like a bully, the only way to stop it is to challenge it on the spot, every time. We need to stop being so tolerant and hoping it’ll go away in the next election. We should challenge tyrannical behavior every time we see it –and that starts with calling it what it is, tyranny (-old fashioned term or not).
 
I am not saying we should turn to armed rebellion. All that is needed is for enough of us to speak up and and force our elected representatives to act. -And that much, my friends, is absolutely necessary, or someday we will wind up with a real live tryanny headed by a real live tyrannt.



Live Long and Prosper...

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Thanks for the kind words....

This past week I received several very nice communications about my new book, "Operation: Avenging Dragon". I’ve already replied to each of you separately but I just wanted to take a moment and publically say “Thank You” for buying and reading my book -and for taking the time to send me those thoughtful and nice comments.

Phyllis Downey. I’m glad it was able to hold your attention through that long flight from San Francisco to New Zealand. I have often said that if just one person read it and enjoyed it, I’d consider it a success. I appreciate your pointing out the 2 editing errors (repeated words). I’ll see those are corrected in the next edition.

Dan Shiles. I’m glad you were able to identify so well with the main character. Sean is an average guy who happens to be good at field intelligence work. He is getting on in years and beginning to feel the effects of aging, but that does not slow him down or mean he can't get the job done. I think a lot of us can relate to that. There are not enough characters like Sean in our books and movies these days.

Diego Ruiz. I got a kick that your favorite character was the hard working farmer out in Iowa. Adam Belkin is a composite of farmers I have known and admired over the years. His reaction when faced by the terrorists teaches us a valuable lesson – Don’t piss off a farmer with a Winchester.

Miles Keefer. Yes, the USS Michael Murphy is a real US Navy destroyer – but no –they were not really attacked by the Chinese Navy. If they had, well, I’m quite certain they’d have done even better than they did in my little story.

And to all of you – Yes, thank you, I am bringing Sean and most of the characters back in a sequel that I am working on right now. It should be out this fall sometime. The working title is: "The Zaim Dispatch" and this time the team will be taking on Hezbollah Terrorists in San Diego…..



Once, again, thank you for your kind comments and critiques. Reading those and knowing you enjoyed the book makes all the work worth the effort.
 



--> Oh, and just a quick note to my 'friends' -the ones that have not had 'time' to read "Operation: Avenging Dragon" yet - I just want you to know that there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that I have been in contact with a Voodoo Priestess from New Orleans and any strange growths you begin to experiece have nothing whatsoever to do with your failure to read my book.....


 
 
Live Long and Prosper...

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Today is Armed Forces Day

President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.

 On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days.
The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense.

So today take a moment to be grateful for the sacrifices of the men and women that wear our country’s uniform and who go willingly into harm’s way to keep us safe.
 
Remember to display your America Flag and if you see a soldier, sailor, marine or veteran – stop and say thanks
– it’s the least we can do to show our appreciation….

 
I'm not in to Rap - But I liked this:
 
 

Live Long and Prosper...

Friday, May 17, 2013

On this day in 1885: Geronimo flees Arizona reservation

For the second time in two years, the Apache chief Geronimo breaks out of an Arizona reservation, sparking panic among Arizona settlers.

A famous medicine man and the leader of the Chiricahua Apache, Geronimo achieved national fame by being the last American Indian to surrender formally to the United States. For nearly 30 years, Geronimo and his followers resisted the attempts of Americans to take away their southwestern homeland and confine them to a reservation. He was a fearless warrior and a master of desert survival. The best officers of the U.S. Army found it nearly impossible to find Geronimo, much less decisively defeat him.

In 1877, Geronimo was forced to move to the San Carlos, Arizona, reservation for the first time, but he was scarcely beaten. Instead, Geronimo treated the reservation as just one small part of the vast territory he still considered to belong to the Apache. Fed up with the strictures and corruption of the reservation, he and many other Apache broke out for the first time in 1881. For nearly two years, the Apache band raided the southwestern countryside despite the best efforts of the army to stop them. Finally, Geronimo wearied of the continual harassment of the U.S. Army and agreed to return to the reservation in 1884, much on his own terms.

He did not stay long. Among the many rules imposed upon the Apache on the reservation was the prohibition of any liquor, including a weak beer they had traditionally brewed from corn. In early May 1885, Geronimo and a dozen other leaders deliberately staged a corn beer festival. Reasoning that the authorities would be unlikely to try to punish such a large group, they openly admitted the deed, expecting that it would lead to negotiations. Because of a communication mix-up, however, the army failed to respond. Geronimo and the others assumed the delay indicated the army was preparing some drastic punishment for their crime. Rather than remain exposed and vulnerable on the reservation, Geronimo fled with 42 men and 92 women and children.

Quickly moving south, Geronimo raided settlements along the way for supplies. In one instance, he attacked a ranch owned by a man named Phillips, killing him, his wife, and his two children. Frightened settlers demanded swift military action, and General George Crook coordinated a combined Mexican and American manhunt for the Apache. Thousands of soldiers tracked the fugitives but Geronimo and his band split into small groups and remained elusive.

Crook's failure to apprehend the Indians led to his eventual resignation. General Nelson Miles replaced him. Miles committed 5,000 troops to the campaign and even established 30 heliograph stations to improve communications. Still, Miles was also unable to find the elusive warrior. Informed that many of the reservation Apache, including his own family, had been taken to Florida, Geronimo apparently lost the will to fight. After a year and a half of running, Geronimo and his 38 remaining followers surrendered unconditionally to Miles on September 3, 1886.

Relocated to Florida, Geronimo was imprisoned and kept from his family for two years. Finally, he was freed and moved with this family to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. He died of pneumonia at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in 1909.
 
Live Long and Prosper...