Armored Facilities Manager

5:02pm: 617 Squadron....the Beeb and Dambusting!
Here's a bloody GREAT page and video segment on the 617 Squardon Mission against the dams in the Ruhr River Valley 65 years ago today.

Great stuff. Turn the volume up!

6:02pm: MARTA and Guns, Caution...
The governor signed HB 89 into law yesterday *snoopy dance*.

However, it has been reported by the media, mistakenly so, that the law goes into effect immediately. THIS IS NOT TRUE. HB 89 goes into effect July 1st. Do NOT carry on MARTA Yet. Do not expect that the provisions of HB89 (aside from carry in city/county parks, that are not public gatherings) is legal either.

The City/County parks provision is effective now because it is emphasizing that cities and counties cannot prohibit carry there any more than they can elsewhere. Georgia has a pre-emption law on the books. Cities and counties cannot pass firearms regulation laws, this any laws prohibiting carry in such locations is not legal under state law. HB 89 merely underscores such specifically.

1:58pm: Obama Gaffes
Invade Pakistan...

When I am president, we will wage the war that has to be won," he told an audience at the Woodrow Wilson Center in the District. He added, "The first step must be to get off the wrong battlefield in Iraq and take the fight to the terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

Negotiate and sit down with the likes of Hezballah and their backers (Syria and Iran)...

And what we should be doing is reaching out aggressively to our allies, but also talking to our enemies and focusing on those areas where we do not accept their actions, whether it be terrorism or developing nuclear weapons, but also talking to Iran directly about the potential carrots that we can provide in terms of them being involved in the World Trade Organization, or beginning to look at the possibilities of diplomatic relations being normalized.

Now, there may come a point where those measures have been exhausted and Iran is on the verge of obtaining a nuclear weapon, where we have to consider other options. But we shouldn’t talk about those options now, when we haven’t even tried what would be a much more effective approach.



They speak Arabic in Afghanistan....We need more Arabic translators in Afghanistan!


"We don't have enough capacity right now to deal with it -- and it's not just the troops," Obama, D-Ill., told a crowd in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

"We only have a certain number of them and if they are all in Iraq, then its harder for us to use them in Afghanistan," Obama said.


57 US States...?

"Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it."

We need more agricultural advisors in Iraq to help the Iraqi's NOT grow Poppies...

We need agricultural specialists in Afghanistan, people who can help them develop other crops than heroin poppies, because the drug trade in Afghanistan is what is driving and financing these terrorist networks. So we need agricultural specialists," he said.
...
"But if we are sending them to Baghdad, they're not in Afghanistan," Obama said.

Oh I guess I find these interesting because I'm one of those bitter people in fly over country.....

"And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Words of placation peace and unity. You have to love that. Really.

And then there's that whole Black Liberation Theology thing were if you're white, you might as well be satan or one of his minions. It's rife with hate and discord, but Obama is a uniter. All the snark aside, the more I learn about this guy, the less I like him.

2:57pm: Last Day to Sign or Veto HB89.
House Bill 89 allows Licensed holders of CCW permits to carry on public transportation where before it was a felony to do so.

HB89 allows us to visit a restaurant for a meal and NOT violate the public gathering statute (which is an old Jim Crow Law).

More than 40 of the states that allow CCW permit the above behaviors and have NOT seen an increase in crime/violence.

HB89 does a few other things but those are the big ones. If the Governor signs the bill it will become law. If he doesn't sign the bill, it would still become law. However, if he vetos the bill it will not but the General Assembly could try to override the veto.

Call Governor Perdue's office. Politely urge the harassed woman answering the phones to pleas ask the governor to support HB89. 404-656-1776

11:37am: Recruits Needed!
Do you want to learn about World War II History? Are you particularly interested in WWII Armored cars and Armoured Recce formation operations in the North West European Theatre? Are you able to get to the Mid-Atlantic Region of the US on a regular basis? If so, then join up with the Recce Corps. The 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment Association is looking for recruits.



You must be reasonably fit (WWII Armored cars are fairly snug vehicles)
Able to work with people as a team
and want to engage in an interesting and unique hobby, even among North American Re-enacting circles.


Skills with Wireless sets, armaments, and vehicle mechanicals are especially useful for this impression.

See http://www.15threcce.org/ for more information.

Bash On!

9:55pm: Two More days...
...before some Jim Crow laws are partially expunged from Georgia law.

Here's hoping that the Governor doesn't veto HB 89. If he does not sign by the 15th (or veto) it still becomes law on July 1st.

11:33am: Real Heros....
Al Gore won the Nobel Peace prize for his activism on Global Warming, Climate Change, Anthropogenic Climate Change in 2007. One of the other nominees for the prize at that juncture was Irena Sendler. Another activist, though in a far more esteemed class if you ask me. She was in the Polish Underground and Zegota, the polish anti-holocaust resistance in Warsaw. She helped save 2,500 jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto by providing false documents. She was arrested in 1943 by the Gestapo. She was tortured and later sentenced to death. Some how she managed to not get executed by bribing a guard.

Irena Sendler died yesterday (12th of may) in Warsaw Poland.

That Al Gore won over her is absolutely pathetic. Alfred Nobel is probably spinning his grave.

1:46pm: And the models are still wrong
The Climate models that the IPCC uses to predict what world climate will do (storms, rising sea levels, loss of hair, dogs and cats living together) has yet another flaw. Antarctic climate has cooled, not risen says a recent study of Antarctic weather.

"We can now compare computer simulations with observations of actual climate trends in Antarctica," says NCAR scientist Andrew Monaghan, the lead author of the study. "This is showing us that, over the past century, most of Antarctica has not undergone the fairly dramatic warming that has affected the rest of the globe. The challenges of studying climate in this remote environment make it difficult to say what the future holds for Antarctica's climate."

The study marks the first time that scientists have been able to compare records of the past 50 to 100 years of Antarctic climate with simulations run on computer models. Researchers have used atmospheric observations to confirm that computer models are accurately simulating climate for the other six continents. The models, which are mathematical representations of Earth's climate system, are a primary method for scientists to project future climate.

Melting of the antarctic ice shelf is part of the factor which is supposed to make the sea levels rise. Artctic sea ice won't do that (See Boyles Law). Strangely, I have to wonder if increased precipitation at high altitudes and in Antarctica would in fact cause sea levels to drop due to the acumulation of the snow and ice which does not easily shift back to the oceans.

12:26pm: Ecclesiastical music
For an atheist, I really do love old roman catholic and orthodox music a great deal.

O Virgo and Stella Splendens are two of my favorite pieces. I adore the songs. Perahaps its the female voices but it's what I like.



They're not Sarband or Anonymous 4, or Estampie/Qntal for that matter, but they're still quite good I think if very formal. I look forward to hearing these musicians in the future on some productions.

12:13pm: 5 Ton Multifuel...
This is a 5 ton. I have a 2.5 ton. They sound similar, though my 2.5 ton has the whistler turbo so it has a different note. There's still a similar sort of deeper sound...



Second Video...

A deuce with the D Model turbo...(not a whistler...)

5:37pm: The Big E under attack at the solomons...
This is raw footage.

1:38pm: Reuters cameraman killed by his own stupidity...
A Reuters crew of three local stringers was shot at and one of them killed the other day when they decided to video an Israeli tank across a small valley. The tank crew, very likely saw the crew and thought they were settin gup an ATGM to fire at the them. So they put fire on the presumed enemy forces which turned out to be a camera man, two other civilians.

From the front a video camera and an Anti tank missile launcher can look remarkably similar. Now days, markings on the side of a vehicle look like squat. UN vehicles have been stolen and used to attack civilians. "TV" in gaffers tape on the side and on the hood doesn't do much for your safety if the other side thinks groups like Hamas or Hezballah are using that to camouflage their movements. The fact is that those groups have used ambulances and other vehicles to move around combat forces.

Illegal combatants are such specifically because they get innocents killed in situations like this.

5:13pm: Feminism
I was recently asked about my perspective on feminism. As someone who was raised by a mother who struggled with men in her life (nothing physically abusive but verbal abuse can be a 'challenge') I am, I think a equality minded person. My earliest memories of fixing things are with my mother and I doing the work and my stepfather, ( a Harvard Medical School Doctor ) unable to wrap his brain around simple mechanical systems.

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12:00pm: Weekend Recap and George Update
So, George the cat had an abscess from a bite from his 'little' brother (Edgrrr is at 12 lbs now, the former 'runt' of the litter, George is 8 and some change). Then he got another bigger bite. The first one responded well, the second one seemed to be going very well considering and he wasn't worrying at it too much and it was healing. I tried an E-collar but he just lays there like he's dying of shame. He won't move, let alone eat or drink anything. Food being more important that keeping him from occasionally scratching at it, I took it off and it seemed to be doing well. Twice to thrice daily applications of anti-bacterial ointment keeps it moist and clean.

Friday comes around and he's his usual perky self bouncing around the yard and there sill a bit of swollen tissue but it's solid and not squishy. He's on the mend. So, I go to Mobile with a friend, nuit23, to go sailing.

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5:47pm: Korean War era Carrier operations
Dangerous stuff...

9:42pm: Hooking up kills people....
Well, red shirts at least....


Analytics According to Captain Kirk
By Matt Bailey (Founder, SiteLogic)

In my seminars, I enjoy teaching analytics because the fun is in finding effective and memorable methods to help people understand the concepts. One of my favorites is an analysis of the Red-Shirt Phenomenon in Star Trek.

What? You don't know about the Red Shirt Phenomenon? Well, as any die-hard Trekkie knows, if you are wearing a red shirt and beam to the planet with Captain Kirk, you're gonna die. That's the common thinking, but I decided to put this to the test. After all, I hadn't seen any definitive proof; it's just what people said. (Remind you of your current web analytics strategy?) So, let's set our phasers on 'stun' and see what we find...

( Read more... )

2:54pm: Illithids?
Anyone ever wonder if the climate change movement is just a front for the Mild Flayers' goal of extinguishing the sun?

1:52pm: Those whacky Jarheads....
When Marines get bored.

The poor iraqi probably didn't understand a bloody thing.

6:49pm: An Engineer's Guide to Cats....


Jeeze, I don't know my cats aspect ratios... I must note that for future reference...


Hattip to Leokitty...

4:33pm: Fitna
Fitna is a 2008 short film by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders. The film explores Qur'anic motivations for terrorism, Islamic universalism, and Islam in the Netherlands. The film's title comes from the Arabic word fitna which is used to describe "disagreement and division among people", or a "test of faith in times of trial".

On March 27, 2008, Fitna was released to the Internet on the video sharing website Liveleak in Dutch and English versions. The following day, Liveleak removed the film from their servers citing serious threats to their staff. On March 30, Fitna was restored on Liveleak following a security upgrade, but was promptly removed by Wilders promising a second edition without the copyrighted Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons. ⁽¹⁾

I've looked at most of the movie while at work. It's only 15 minutes but I'm kinda busy. It's a lot of material I've seen before, some I've never seen before and some like what I've seen before. Wahabbism is the stuff of May 1st 1923. It must be exposed and people must realize that there is a problem with a part of the world that professes such ideologies. While it may not be the best way to do it, as Irshad Manji points out (She disagrees with the method, but not the message), it does put a lot of the ideology nose to tail for you to see.

Currently there is a version available for viewing up at Dust My Broom.

^{1. Snagged from Wikipedia's page on the subject for speed}.

4:44pm: Long weekend...
So last Monday Night I hopped on board the Crescent to head to Philly and then via Septa to my friend Jim's place to collect the dingo and a lot of gear for a WWII event in Camden, SC. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent pulling maintance and service on the truck and trailer and Jim, myself and a new guy left Lansdale, PA to head south.

As it turns out the trip was less than successful from a dingo getting there perspective because the transmission on the deuce decided to start making unpleasant noises in 5th gear. This happened on I-81 not far from Winchester. Luckily it didn't frag the transmission and rather just made it more rattly in 5th. So, I elected to lead the two vehicle convoy on a bit of a tour of Northern Virginia from I81 down 17 to 50 and then back to 17 around a detour where trucks cannot apparently pass on 17. What should have taken 30 or so minutes on I81/I66/SR 17 took over 2 hours. Given the noise, I had no desire to drive the deuce down to SC and have it die on the side of the road with a major transmission failure. So, My dingo was not going to the event.

Friday, very early we finished some of our loading and jumped in the now three vehicles with Norm's dingo in tow behind Randy's Pickup to take it down to Camden. Once there we setup Norm's 140lb British Army Tent and the rest of our campsite. The Saturday event was quite fun, and despite being pretty unorganized from a command and control aspect we showed our capabilities and skills. 15th Recce bagged the SdKfz 251 that we said we would with just small arms and a piat and our single dingo ran traces down several roads and got the Allied forces some critical intel on German Dispositions. We were able to make some progress towards our objectives, that up until then had us going nowhere. I was however missing my own scout car and really wished it'd been able to make the trip.

Saturday night was the usual quiet time discussing tactics, history, future plans, equipment and other less interesting topics around a campfire or under a rain fly next to our WWII cookers and compo ration boxes.

Sunday, we packed the camp back up and headed north again with what was apparently all the spring break crowd headed north to New York again. Traffic was bad, but Randy had a good idea to hop off I95 and take US 1 which was amazingly faster. We rolled into Culpeper, Va at 9pm and We had a late dinner and all crashed.

On Monday, I pulled the cover off and figured out exactly what the problem was.

There you can see from left to right:
the 1st gear, 2nd and 3rd gear fork selector synchro, and 5th and 4th's fork selector and synchro.


And here, plooking down close, you can see the two busted teeth on the gear attached to the 5th gear counter shaft. Interestingly it doesn't look as if the 5th Gear on the mainshaft is damaged at all.

Monday night I took the train back. At this rate I should be racking up miles on Amtrak, good enough for an upgrade here or there in the future.

So, now, I have another vehicle in need of repairs. In this case, it's a take out transmission from an M35 that I'll need. Trying to get it rebuilt would be more costly than a replacement. I could rebuild it myself as these are amazingly simple transmissions. Just a bit heavy. Hopefully I can find one for around $3-400.

8:58pm: wheee!
I'm on the train!

1:45am: Big guns....
People ask me why I don't do more than one impression in my re-enacting. That's because I prefer to do a given impression well and with as much resources as I can. If I did ACW, I'd have to do artillery and this stuff is expensive. I love what these guys are able to do.



In this case, a 13" (thats the diameter of the bore of the gun and thus the width of the projectile) sea coast/siege mortar of US Civil War vintage. This is firing not shot (a solid iron ball), but shell at a replica set of fortifications a little under a mile away. Shell being a projectile that has a charge of black powder in it AND a fuze to make it go off. Good crews were able to cut the fuze based on the time of flight so that the shell exploded in flight over the heads of the unlucky folks on the other end of the fire. In the later part of the clip, you see an impact and hear what sounds like a bunch of bees buzzing around, that's the fragments that are flying past the camera that's close to the target and thats REALLY dangerous (read as deadly) effects out of a very old technology.

In another example you can see some smaller mortar rounds. The second one that impacts on the target is delayed by a good bit and you can see how it bursts long after it's fallen, the explosion is mostly upwards and you can hear the patter of the bits of dirt, stones and the fragments (not shrapnel) of the shell.

Here's an 8" Howitzer and a 30 Pounder Parrott Rifle (a Gun).


Amazing stuff these old blackpowder guns, howitzers and mortars. I suppose I could get into a replica one for about the price I have in one of my armored cars.

8:55pm: VT-8
Just found on a forum I frequent when I have time.

On June 4, 1942, the 15 Douglas TBD Devastators of Torpedo Squadron 8 took off from the USS Hornet to attack a formation of Japanese Carriers and supporting warships. VT-8 was not coordinated with the fighter and bomber squadrons from the Hornet and when they ran across the Japanese carriers, the Japanese fighters tore them to pieces. Of the 15 planes, all were shot down without a single torpedo dropped. Each plane had two crewman. One of those crewmen survived (Ensign George Gay), all others perished. 29 men. This was their first attack on anyships with live ordnance.

One of John Ford's crews filmed the crews of VT-8. He and his film crews were with the Hornet and other ships and on the ground to film the entire Battle of Midway.That footage made up a film of about 19 minutes, he won and Oscar for it. After the battle, the US Navy made a film with footage from VT-8 to present to the families. John Ford directed the material.



This is a slightly edited version with different music. The original is here

12:01am: Long arsed days at work...
I'm back in the server deployment gulag.

I've racked 4 HP blade centers, an IBM 4800 and 5 exp810s plus run assorted wires, fiber and modular patch panels and I still have more fiber and copper to run.

In other news Arthur C. Clark has died. RIP sir.

I guess I need to go re-read Rendezvous with Rama as well as a number of other good books. Perhaps I'll get something better out of Childhood's End now that I'm older.