benning's Writing Pad

Independence Day!

2008-07-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

The Summation of this document read as follows:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

To read all of it, just as a reminder to us all, go on over to Wake Forest University.

Clark & McCain: Contrasts

2008-07-03T08:08:00.008-04:00

General Wesley Clark (ret) is a mouthpiece for the Democratic Presidential Nominee-apparent, Barack H. Obama. Touting his magnificent military record as evidence of his political acumen he has attacked Senator John McCain on quite a few occasions. The Obama campaign is using Clark as a stalking horse against McCain to give the American public the perception that McCain is not the man they say you think he is. Why use Wes Clark in this capacity?

General Wesley Clark - a Democrat - is considered by the Democratic Party a genuine military hero, much in the manner of John "France" Kerry, and thus immune to any counter-attacks by the mean-spirited Republicans and their thugs. As the Former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, his words carry a lot of weight, though this is not the usual case for the Democratic Party. The fact that he was fired from that position - by the Clinton Administration! - is conveniently ignored.

From Counterpunch:

[...]
Anyone seeking to understand the bloody fiasco of the Serbian war need hardly look further than the person of the beribboned Supreme Allied Commander, General Wesley K. Clark. Politicians and journalists are generally according him a respectful hearing as he discourses on the "schedule" for the destruction of Serbia, tellingly embracing phrases favored by military bureaucrats such as "systematic" and "methodical".

The reaction from former army subordinates is very different.

"The poster child for everything that is wrong with the GO (general officer) corps," exclaims one colonel, who has had occasion to observe Clark in action, citing, among other examples, his command of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood from 1992 to 1994.

While Clark's official Pentagon biography proclaims his triumph in "transitioning the Division into a rapidly deployable force" this officer describes the "1st Horse Division" as "easily the worst division I have ever seen in 25 years of doing this stuff."
[...]

And there's this:

[...]

While he regards his junior officers with watchful suspicion, he customarily accords the lower ranks little more than arrogant contempt. A veteran of Clark's tenure at Fort Hood recalls the general's "massive tantrum because the privates and sergeants and wives in the crowded (canteen) checkout lines didn't jump out of the way fast enough to let him through".

Clark's demeanor to those above is, of course, very different, a mode of behavior that has earned him rich dividends over the years. Thus, early in 1994, he was a candidate for promotion from two to three star general. Only one hurdle remained - a war game exercise known as the Battle Command Training Program in which Clark would have to maneuver his division against an opposing force. The commander of the opposing force, or "OPFOR" was known for the military skill with which he routinely demolished opponents.

But Clark's patrons on high were determined that no such humiliation should be visited on their favorite. Prior to the exercise therefore, strict orders came down that the battle should go Clark's way. Accordingly, the OPFOR was reduced in strength by half, thus enabling Clark, despite deploying tactics of signal ineptitude, to triumph. His third star came down a few weeks later.

Because Wesley Clark believes he is a truly gifted military man, and the Democrats want so desperately to believe that also, his word is accepted as Gospel in the Party. The Obama campaign clearly sees no problem in throwing Clark's insidious attacks in McCain's way. Despite disavowing Clark's statements - and not really! - Clark remains their stalking horse. What is it about Clark that has earned enmity from those in the military who served above, with, and under him? Why is the Golden-Haired Boy of his early military days now exposed for the cheap, vain, small-minded, little man he seems to be?

From Oceanguy at Somewhere on IA, comes "Wesley Clark - Useful Idiot":

I once described Wesley Clark as one of those military officers who believed their Fitness Reports… I still believe it.
I don't think the military is unusual in having a problem of inflated evaluations, but it's a system I'm very familiar with. Whatever the cause of the phenomenon, I lived it during a 20 year career in the Navy, both as an evaluator and as one being evaluated. Grades are inflated to the point that Ratings of "above average" are a slap in that face that could be career killers. "Superlatives" were merely average grades. The whole evaluation process was often laughable. I had one evaluation as a young 24 year old Lieutenant Junior Grade which described me as "sagacious" and "perspicacious." Yeah, at 24 I may have thought I was, but I still laughed at the comments, and was almost embarrassed during my evaluation interview.

[...]

And here I thought grade inflation was only used by the Leftist School Administrations. But, no, the military finds it easier to pass than fail.

Again:

I look at Wesley Clark and I see one of those men who believed their fitness reports. For his entire career he was almost certainly told he was superlative… just like 90% of his peers… if he hadn't been he'd have never been a General… and through the luck of timing, and maybe a politically minded mentor, or through his own burning ambition, he wound up in charge of something important ant a momentous time. The fact that he was basically fired, doesn't matter, because through it all, even after he was removed from the post, he believed his fitness reports. In fact his firing was publicly presented in such a way as to keep his superlative self-esteem intact. He was a success while being fired.

It's not at all surprising to me that such a man, one who feels great about his accomplishments while ignoring the reality of the results, winds up as a voice in today's Democratic Party. A sympathetic press, eager to have a military hero as a Democratic spokesman, rush to hold him up as an icon to their commitment to National Security. It's not at all surprising that, given that platform and his unfailing belief in his own fitness reports, that he would pull out his crank and stomp on it while attacking a genuinely courageous and soft-spoken hero. It's extremely offensive, but not at all surprising.

I think the most telling statement that shows exactly what a 'useful idiot' Clark is would be his most recent back-handed slap in McCain's face. While explaining that McCain had not had that much experience so as to be a President, he said, "I don't think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president."

No, that isn't a qualification. Nor is being the Editor of the Harvard Review, which is one of Barack Obama's chief resume points. But that simplistic bit of nastiness wasn't enough for Ol' Gen'rul Clark, no he wanted to make sure we all understood. His previous words were, "I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in the armed forces, as a prisoner of war, [...]"

Look, I may not know all that much about matters military, but I don't recall ever reading that description. McCain was serving as a US Naval Aviator, not as a Prisoner of War. I imagine one does not 'serve' as a prisoner of war so much as endure. And McCain endured. For five-and-a-half years. Clark's words are an insult, not to mention stupid beyond belief. He may have been a Rhodes Scholar, and nobody will say he's not bright, but he's not terribly smart. Instead he's a weak man, full of himself, still hoping for greater things in his life. And McCain is a handy target for his unfulfilled ambitions. He's just another tool of the Obama smear campaign.

And what of Senator John McCain? Who the heck is he that he commands such ugly attacks on himself? Here's an excerpt from the Jerusalem Post article/editorial, "A not-so-public man: the private character of John McCain":

[...]

It's pretty amazing when you think about it. War hero John McCain has been in the public eye almost his entire adult life. He's run numerous campaigns, served in Congress for 25 years, and is in his second run for the presidency.

Yet, there is so much of his life that reveals an absolutely sterling character, but remains largely unknown to the public. And in spite of the tremendous political advantages that publicity could confer, McCain instinctively keeps that information private. Although as a presidential candidate he may be forced to overcome this reticence, he honorably shies away from using his personal heroics for political gain.

How aware is the public that McCain has raised seven children? Or that he adopted his two oldest sons as small boys (children from his wife's prior marriage)? Or that he has raised a Bangladeshi girl with severe health problems adopted from Mother Theresa's orphanage? Or that his own sons have served in the military, including in Iraq?

It's widely known that McCain, a Navy pilot, was shot down, captured and tortured by the North Vietnamese for 5 and a half years - an episode worth a forthcoming column all its own. But few are aware that he refused early release until all the POWs captured before him were freed, and that he refused special treatment offered once it was discovered that he was the "crown prince" (the son of the admiral in charge of the Pacific Fleet) because he wouldn't provide the enemy with any propaganda victories.

Even fewer seem to know that those years were a fraction of a 22-year Navy career. Although broken and battered, after his release from Vietnamese captivity he went right back to the Navy, where he continued to serve for an additional eight years.

[...]

Remember the whispering campaign the MSM trumpeted in 200? You know, the one that hinted that John McCain had a “black baby”? I remember, and I recall wondering who really cared? After all we were coming to the close of the Bill Clinton era, the era of BJs in the Oval Office and other nasty behavior in the White House. Did anybody really care about John McCain? Well, some believe that campaign of innuendos ruined McCain’s chances at the Republican nomination in 2000.

I didn’t believe it, and I did vote for McCain that year. Not G.W.Bush. Of course it was more a protest vote against the Republican Party, but still ... I voted for McCain in 2000.

McCain may be a hot-head - the word is ... he is! - and he’s never going to be the conservative that we right-wing Republicans want. Like Barry Goldwater, McCain steers his own course, heedless of the opinions of others. If he doesn’t have all the facts he goes with his guts. That means he can be way off base, as he is with the Illegal Alien issue, or with the phony Man-made Global Change hysteria.

But with John McCain there is a solidity that his opponent does not have and his attackers have never had. With McCain Honor is not just a nice-looking word but a credo to live by. His loyalty may not be to the Republican Party, but it is to the United States of America, which he served for 22 years as a military man. His loyalty is to his constituents in Arizona whom he has served for 25 years. His loyalty is to his family.

While John McCain touts his political service and experience, his military service and experience, he rarely discusses his captivity and torture in North Vietnam. He shields his family from the public glare as much as is possible, and goes about his business. He is an honorable man, a prickly man, and as much a hero as any who served during the Vietnam War.

By the way, Wesley Clark also served in Vietnam. He received the Bronze Star for his work as a Staff Officer, and was wounded in combat one month after taking command of A Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry of the 1st Infantry Division in January 1970. For his actions he was awarded the Silver Star. His “meteoric rise” through the military ranks began then. His press clippings rose, too.

Gen. Wesley Clark at YearlyKos conference in Chicago, Aug. 3, 2007.
Chicago Tribune photo by Charles Osgood.

Of the two men, I know whom I consider the far better and greater man, and the one whom I would trust. And it ain’t Wes Clark.

It Didn't End With Piglet

2008-07-02T07:34:00.004-04:00

In Tayside, Scotland, it seems the Police have mightily offended the local Muslim population. How did they manage to offend the Muslims of Tayside, you ask? I bet some of you already know, but allow me to elucidate. The Tayside police produced what the Brits call a Postcard, which is a kind of advertisement. In this case an advertisement to let the locals know what the new non-emergency telephone number is and to remind them that "999" is the emergency number to call.

How did that offend the Muslims of Tayside - or at least the usual vocal idiots? The image the police chose for the card consists of a puppy sitting in a constable's hat. Now isn't that enough to make you choke with rage and indignation? Puppies! Good Lord, how offensive! Right?

Well, it is to overly-sensitive Muslims, it appears, as they are unable to turn their heads and not look at the offensive image of an unclean - non-Haraam - animal. They just can't get it out of their heads, as Jeff Lynne might say.

From The Daily Mail Online:

The advert has upset Muslims because dogs are considered ritually unclean and has sparked such anger that some shopkeepers in Dundee have refused to display the advert.
Dundee councillor Mohammed Asif said: 'My concern was that it's not welcomed by all communities, with the dog on the cards.
'It was probably a waste of resources going to these communities.
'They (the police) should have understood. Since then, the police have explained that it was an oversight on their part, and that if they'd seen it was going to cause upset they wouldn't have done it.'
Councillor Asif, who is a member of the Tayside Joint Police Board, said that the force had a diversity adviser and was generally very aware of such issues.

Ahh, yes, the politically correct 'Diversity Adviser." What a wonderful world the Scots now live in where images of puppies are deemed offensive. Yeesh!

Rebel, the offensive pup, has now been completely inoculated, though not against human stupidity, and will be taking to the streets. We can expect that local Muslims will now complain about police use of dogs in their work, which is already a hot-button issue everywhere in Britain. Again from the Daily Mail:

A spokesman for Tayside Police said: 'Trainee police dog Rebel has proved extremely popular with children and adults since being introduced to the public, aged six weeks old, as Tayside Police's newest canine recruit.
'His incredible world-wide popularity - he has attracted record visitor numbers to our website - led us to believe Rebel could play a starring role in the promotion of our non-emergency number.
'We did not seek advice from the force's diversity adviser prior to publishing and distributing the postcards. That was an oversight and we apologise for any offence caused.'

How sad is it that the police feel any need to apologize for displaying a cute puppy on an advertisement? From the Daily Telegraph article comments section, a moment of sanity and clarity:

8. Posted by Stevie The Scot on July 02, 2008 10:04 AM
If Muslims find dogs offensive or, indeed, any other part of British life not to their liking, why don't they bugger off.

They moved here, so they either adapt to our culture or they can get lost.

I find them quite offensive at times, so I wouldn't dream of moving to a Muslim country because of that.

It's fairly simple.

I wish it really were that simple. I know you remember the hue and cry in Britain when Muslims - in 2005 - discovered Piglet. Mark Steyn wrote about it. So offensive was Piglet's image that local government's and employers sprang into action to erase the offending image. And that included ordering a homeowner to remove porcelain pig figurines from her windowsill. Can't be offending the Wogs on the street, now can we?

Even British Banks got into the act by banning ... wait for it ... Piggy Banks! The offense isn't to your regular British Muslim, but to the radical Islamists that have turned some areas in Britain into mini-nation-lettes under Muslim control. Even bare-shouldered images of little girls have been banned from Passport photos by overzealous bureaucrats. I would think that these are incredibly offensive actions to most British people.

Then again, perhaps not. They have yet to complain in sufficient numbers to put a stop to this stupidity. It continues. And it grows. Like the cancer that Islamism is.

So, hide your puppy pictures if you go to Scotland, cover your bare shoulders in Great Britain, and try not to be offensive. "Can't we all just get along?"

*Woof!*
Tip of the Hat to Callimachus!

Father's Day 2008

2008-06-15T00:31:00.000-04:00

In 1973 my Father died in a rather pointless car accident - broad sided by another car - and left me, then 17-years-old, feeling somewhat adrift. Within two years, my Mother remarried. The new husband was a man I knew, a friend of the family - both families were politically active - who also was a part of the Boy Scout Troop I had once belonged to. He was a divorced father of four who was now stepping into a family of three children. Well, one child and two late teenagers. It was not an easy task, and I confess I made it very difficult. I am, as I have always been, a wise-ass. And Walt never had the chance to ease into getting to know me.

So he entered our family, hurt and perhaps angry at the loss of our Father, unaware, I think, of just how much trouble he had gotten himself into. And yet, he didn't murder me in my sleep, slap the snot out of me, nor treat me like the whiny, superior, wise-cracking smart-ass I was. And remain to this day. And he turned out to be every bit as supportive as any Father could be.

Over the years we've come to an understanding and have become friends, I hope. And he's managed to love my mother - a very difficult, demanding, loving, pain-in-the-ass woman, from whom I got every Wise-cracking, Class Clown gene I possess - for many years. My Step-Father is a first-class Father, and one world-class man. And I dedicate this Father's Day post to him. Happy Father's Day, Walter!

When Did We First Celebrate Father's Day?

In Fairmont, West Virginia, June 5th 1908, it was first celebrated as a church service at Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South, now known as Central United Methodist Church. Grace Golden Clayton, perhaps inspired to celebrate fathers after the deadly mine explosion in nearby Monongah the prior December, is believed to have suggested the service to the pastor.

However, that same year of 1908, across the country in Spokane, Washington, Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd, daughter of Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, inspired by Anna Jarvis's efforts to establish Mother's Day, began her own push to establish a day to celebrate Fathers. Initially suggesting June 5, the anniversary of her father's death, Mrs. Dodd did not provide the organizers with enough time to make arrangements, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June. The first June Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, WA, at the Spokane YMCA. And Mrs. Dodd was on her way.

From Happy Father's Day:

Sonora Smart Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Smart, who was a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state.

After Mrs. Dodd became an adult she realized the selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man.

About Sonora Dodd, Wikipedia has this to say:

Sonora Louise Smart was born in Jenny Lind, Sebastian County, Arkansas in 1882 to farmer William Jackson Smart (1842-1919) and his wife Ellen Victoria Cheek Smart (1851-1898). William Smart was a member of The First Arkansas Light Artillery and fought in the 1862 Battle of Pea Ridge during the Civil War. The Smart family moved West and finally settled near Spokane, Washington.

When Sonora was 16, her mother died in childbirth with her sixth child. Sonora was the only daughter and shared with her father William in the raising of her younger brothers, including her new infant brother Marshall. Sonora Smart married John Bruce Dodd (1870-1945) and had a son, Jack Dodd, born in 1909.

Sonora Smart held her father in great esteem. While hearing a church sermon about the newly recognized Mother's Day, Sonora felt strongly that Fatherhood needed recognition as well. She approached the Spokane Ministerial Alliance and suggested her own father's birthday of June 5 as the day of honor for fathers. The Alliance chose the third Sunday in June instead.

From Wikipedia:

Unofficial support from such figures as William Jennings Bryan was immediate and widespread. President Woodrow Wilson was personally feted by his family in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson made Father's Day a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The holiday was not officially recognized until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon.

Sonora Smart Dodd was honored at the World's Fair in Spokane, Washington in 1974. Sonora Louise Smart Dodd died in 1978 at the age of ninety-six. She was buried in Greenwood Memorial Terrace, Spokane Washington.

I think her father would have been quite proud of his daughter’s achievements. And we owe Father’s Day to her.

Flag Day - June 14, 2008

2008-06-13T14:00:00.000-04:00

Last year, for Flag Day, I posted a longish look at Flag Day and the history of the United States Flag. You can check it out here: "Flag Day". Also Flag Day 2006. But this year I thought, along with some information you might have forgotten, I would take a look at one of the odder aspects of American myth-making as it applies to our flag. And that is the Myth of the Civil Flag of the United States of America.

It seems that at one time writer Nathaniel Hawthorne was an employee of the U.S. Customs Service. And while an employee he noted the flying of an odd-looking flag over the Customs Posts. Rather than having horizontal stars and stripes this flag had vertical stars and stripes. Rather than a field of blue with white stars this flag had a field of white with blue stars. He noted this almost in passing in his 'The Custom House', the introduction to Nathaniel Hawthorne's famous book 'The Scarlet Letter'; which was published in 1850. Nothing more was written about it by Hawthorne. In point of fact this was the Customs flag. And it was a variation of certain nautical flags which evolved in the United States in her early years.

Now, the myth arises in this way. As some web sites will claim (and this is the general idea):

It is believed by some historians that the Civil Flag was discontinued after the Civil War when the federal government imposed military governments in the States and disbanded civilian government. As a show of it's power over the States, Civil Flags were discontinued and Old Glory became the sole emblem representing the People of the United States of America, united under military (or admiralty) rule. For over 100 years, the Civilian U.S. Flag was flown by a select citizenry that could afford to buy them. While most were of the design of the Customs Bureau and it's American Eagle, many continued to adorn the original look from 1777 with a constellation of stars on a blue field and with red and white vertical stripes. By 1900, the Civil Flag had all but disappeared except for the occasional use by the government's revenue cutters and more recently, the Coast Guard with a modified design. By 1980, nearly all documentation of the Civil Flag had been omitted in school text books and it's existence left as a mystery in a few old photographs and a rare mention in classic books".

And of course this turns out to be utter nonsense, though intriguing at first. The original Revenue Ensign, adopted in 1799 was to be flown from Customs Cutters.

Revenue Ensign of 1799

From "The Civil Flag - Forgotten Flag or Flag of Fiction":

... engaged in the prevention and detection of smuggling, in lieu of the National Ensign (the Stars and Stripes). The "Revenue Ensign" was the equivalent of a policeman's badge, letting ships know that the Cutter flying this ensign was a US Customs Revenue Cutter, and had the Authority to stop any vessel within the boundary of U.S. waters. The Flags were also flown over U.S. Customs Houses. And what was the job of the Revenue Cutters and the Customs Houses? To make sure that the Excise Tax on all imports were collected. Notice the word "Revenue" (like in "Internal Revenue")? In other words, the Revenue Ensign (or Customs Flag) was the flag of Uncle Sam's TAX Collector! Now, can you imagine the same People who started a Revolution over "No Taxation without Representation" turning around and adopting the "Tax Collectors" Flag to represent peace or civil authority? The idea is ridiculous! Also, as stated above, the "Revenue Ensign" was the equivalent of a Policeman's Badge (or Blue/Red Lights), letting ships know that the Cutter flying this ensign was a US Customs Revenue Cutter, and had the Authority to stop any vessel within U.S. waters. Now can you imagine your Local Police handing out Badges or Blue Lights to everyone in town? Again, the idea is ridiculous!

But that doesn't stop the myth-makers, or those who want to see something ominous in the "military" flag of the United States. So they had to "find" something else to use. And they did. Or, in fact, they simply made it up. Again from "The Civil Flag - Forgotten Flag or Flag of Fiction":

The Other Flag being proposed as the Civil Flag is described as a "White Union with Blue Stars and a field of 16 Vertical Red and White alternating Stripes" - The "Civil Flag of Peace".

Mythical Civil Flag or 'Peace' Flag

I can find no documentation, or historical evidence, to support that this Flag has ever existed. And believe me I looked! I did, however, find evidence of FRAUD on these sites (whether intentional or not, that is for the reader to decide). So, lets now examine what I actually found when I went looking!

You can click on the link to read all of his research. It's very enlightening! He reports on claims by the Civil Flag theorists who assert, for instance, that "Before 1940, no U.S. flag, civil or military, flew within the forty-eight states except in federal settings and installations. Only state flags did." And this is silly on the face of it. A simple look at old photographs show the Star and Stripes flying in many places, none of which are Federal sites. Do look at this site and read the story. It's funny. It's kind of sad, too. Sad, because these people seem to think they can manufacture something to bolster their belief in something that never existed, and strengthen their distrust of the military "occupiers" of these United States. As Patrick, I think, has noted, at Born Again Redneck, the United States seems to be a perfect place for conspiracists to hatch. And if you don't think we have more than our share of Conspiracy Nutters here, then you haven't been paying attention. Just look up JFK Assassination on Google. You'll find a plethora of silly theories showing that his murder was the work of everyone in the world.

On this Flag Day, let's give thanks for our nation's symbol: The Red, White, and Blue; the Stars and Stripes; Old Glory. The most recognizable symbol of a Nation on the face of this planet. Earned with the blood of its citizens, the treasury of its citizens, the love of Liberty of its citizens throughout its existence.

GOD Bless America and the Red, White, and Blue! Happy Flag Day!

If you'd like to read my short story about one person's account of the American Flag, why not look at A Flag Tale, which I posted last July for the Independence Day post.

Here are some important Federal Acts regarding our Flag, from the Encyclopedia Smithsonian:

Until the Executive Order of June 24, 1912, neither the order of the stars nor the proportions of the flag was prescribed. Consequently, flags dating before this period sometimes show unusual arrangements of the stars and odd proportions, these features being left to the discretion of the flag maker. In general, however, straight rows of stars and proportions similar to those later adopted officially were used. The principal acts affecting the flag of the United States are the following:

Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777 - stated: "Resolved: that the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."
Act of January 13, 1794 - provided for 15 stripes and 15 stars after May 1795.
Act of April 4, 1818 - provided for 13 stripes and one star for each state, to be added to the flag on the 4th of July following the admission of each new state.
Executive Order of President Taft dated June 24, 1912 - established proportions of the flag and provided for arrangement of the stars in six horizontal rows of eight each, a single point of each star to be upward.
Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated January 3, 1959 - provided for the arrangement of the stars in seven rows of seven stars each, staggered horizontally and vertically.
Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated August 21, 1959 - provided for the arrangement of the stars in nine rows of stars staggered horizontally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically.

My favorite configuration remains what we call the Betsy Ross Flag with it's circle of thirteen stars. To me it doesn't matter how many states have been added to the Union. I prefer to think of our flag with that circle of stars as our real United States flag.

"I Had No Horse"

2008-06-07T19:40:00.002-04:00

With those words, Jockey Kent Desormeaux explained why Big Brown was walked home most of the last half-mile of the 140th Belmont Stakes, finishing last. No Triple Crown this year, as has been the case the past thirty years. Another loss in the final gem of the Triple Crown for the favorite. And this one was an odd one for the viewers.

Fighting out from the rail Big Brown ran in third place most of the race. But as the horses entered the final turn - the place where Big Brown has thundered past the leaders in the last two races - it became apparent that he was not going to catch up to the leader. What was wrong? Did the lack of training, caused by Big Brown's hoof problems, cause him to be out of shape? Was there a problem with the heat, in the nineties at post-time? Was there something wrong with the horse internally?

We don't know yet, and may never know. But when the horses went around that final turn, Desormeaux pulled back on Big Brown and stood in his stirrups, slowing the big horse to a slow gallop. In contra point to the shrill shrieks of the Animal Rights ninnies, the jockey did what a good jockey does: he protected his horse. Desormeaux knew Big Brown had nothing left. For whatever reason Big Brown was running on empty. And his jockey decided to end the race. There was no attempt to lessen the amount of the loss, try, against all hope, to at least show. Nothing like that. Instead Kent Desormeaux pulled up and made Big Brown slow and stop racing.

``Just before he went into the last turn, I had no horse,'' Desormeaux said to ABC television immediately after the race. He said he [had] no idea what was wrong.

The temperature at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, was 96 degrees Fahrenheit (36 Celsius).

``It was hot as hell out there,'' Desormeaux said.

Rather than protect his own stats or fame as a jockey, Desormeaux protected the horse.

Big Brown was rank [A horse that is fractious or unmanageable by the jockey is said to be rank.] at the start and failed to respond when Desormeaux asked him to run in the last turn. At that point, Desormeaux eased him up.

The loss hit Desormeaux especially hard.

"This horse is the best I've ever ridden," he said. "Something's wrong, and I took care of him."

In his own impressive race, Nick Zito-trained Da'Tara with Jockey Alan Garcia aboard, led from wire-to-wire to win the Belmont. An excellent race by a pretty horse.

So, the racing world will have to wait at least another year for a Triple Crown contender. Nick Zito has won another Belmont Stakes - Zito won in 2004 with Birdstone, who spoiled Smarty Jones’ Triple Crown try - and spoiled a possible Triple Crown, although the contender had stopped racing before the finish.

"... I had no horse ..." What a sad way to end the bid for a Triple Crown. But what a fine way for a jockey to finish.

Note: From Sir Barton, the first winner of the Triple Crown in 1913, until Seattle Slew died in 2002, there had always been a living Triple Crown Champion. The next winner of the Triple Crown will be the only living Triple Crown winner.

Another Note: When Grey Lag won the Belmont in 1921, it marked the first running of the Belmont Stakes in the counter-clockwise manner of American fashion. This 53rd running was a mile and three-eighths over the main course; previous editions at Belmont Park had been run clockwise, in accordance with English custom, over a fish-hook course which included part of the training track and the main dirt oval.

Yet Another Note: Who ran the fastest Belmont? Who else? Secretariat set a world-record that still stands for the mile and a half distance on a dirt track at 2:24. (He had finished a mile and a quarter at 1:59, faster than his own Derby record of 1:59 2/5.) Here's video of that amazing performance in 1973:

If D-Day Happened Today: How Would The MSM Report it?

2008-06-06T12:18:00.003-04:00

I do get email, and sometimes, along with the silly garbage and spam crud: "Do you want a larger penis?" "I have your lottery winnings!" "Get drugs from Canada Cheap!" I find some gems. And this is one I've seen before, so why not use it today?

As the sender notes, I don't know the author of this, but it's well done, in my humble opinion. As to the people who were a part of the real D-Day Invasion, planning, support ... may G_D watch over them and keep their Spirits in His hands. Well done, my Friends, well done!

It is once again the Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion on Normandy. This one is always a great read to remind us of the differences in media coverage between 1944 and today.

How Would the D-Day Invasion be Reported today?
(This is what you would hear if today's media reported on D-Day at Normandy)

(We regret we do not know the author of this piece which was forwarded by a friend. We would give credit if we knew who wrote this.)

June 6, 1944. -NORMANDY- Three hundred French civilians were killed and thousands more wounded today in the first hours of America's invasion of continental Europe. Casualties were heaviest among women and children. Most of the French casualties were the result of artillery fire from American ships attempting to knock out German fortifications prior to the landing of hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops. Reports from a makeshift hospital in the French town of St. Mere Eglise said the carnage was far worse than the French had anticipated and reaction against the American invasion was running high. "We are dying for no reason," said a Frenchman speaking on condition of anonymity. "Americans can't even shoot straight. I never thought I'd say this, but life was better under Adolph Hitler."

The invasion also caused severe environmental damage. American troops, tanks, trucks and machinery destroyed miles of pristine shoreline and thousands of acres of ecologically sensitive wetlands. It was believed that the habitat of the spineless French crab was completely wiped out, threatening the species with extinction. A representative of Greenpeace said his organization, which had tried to stall the invasion for over a year, was appalled at the destruction, but not surprised. "This is just another example of how the military destroys the environment without a second thought," said Christine Moanmore. "And it's all about corporate greed." Contacted at his Manhattan condo, a member of the French government-in-exile who abandoned Paris when Hitler invaded said the invasion was based solely on American financial interests. "Everyone knows that President Roosevelt has ties to big beer," said Pierre LeWimp. "Once the German beer industry is conquered, Roosevelt's beer cronies will control the world market and make a fortune."

Administration supporters said America's aggressive actions were based in part on the assertions of controversial scientist Albert Einstein, who sent a letter to Roosevelt speculating that the Germans were developing a secret weapon, a so-called "atomic bomb." Such a weapon could produce casualties on a scale never seen before and cause environmental damage that could last for thousands of years. Hitler has denied having such a weapon and international inspectors were unable to locate such weapons even after spending two long weekends in Germany. Shortly after the invasion began reports surfaced that German prisoners had been abused by Americans. Mistreatment of Jews by Germans at so-called "concentration camps" has been rumored but so far, remains unproven.

Several thousand Americans died during the first hours of the invasion and French officials are concerned that uncollected corpses pose a public health risk. "The Americans should have planned for this in advance," they said. "It's their mess and we don't intend to clean it up."

Sound about right? Yeah, it does.

Born Again Rednaeck has a good link: "D-Day"

Bookworm has this: "Remembering D-Day"

Rick Moran of Right Wing Nuthouse posts: "A WORD ABOUT COURAGE"

Wretchard at The Belmont Club takes a completely different look at: "The sixth of June"

Were it not for the D-Day Invasion, which led to the unconditional Surrender of the Nazi government of Germany, people like Barack Obama, Jeremiah Wright, Louis Farrakhan, and the rest of the America Haters, would be in slave labor camps or dead. A lot of evil Americans died to save people across the ocean. Just like an awful lot died to defeat the Confederate States of America and freed the black slaves. We ain't perfect, but we're better than you concede we are.

G_D Bless America!

Another Video: Saint-Saens & Seahorses

2008-05-23T13:52:00.001-04:00

Some time ago I watched an episode of The Simpsons. There was some incidental music playing during the show and I watched the closing credits closely to see what it was. All I could catch was the composer - Camille Saint-Saens. I recognized the name. But danged if I could figure out the title of the piece.

About two months ago I watched a PBS Nature show about the Seahorse. And, guess what? Yep, the same music was playing, only this time the music wasn't credited at all, Crap!

Oops! Sorry.

Then, a few weeks ago, I caught the same Simpsons episode and this time I saw the title of the piece. It came from a longer work called, "Carnival of the Animals", and the piece I was enraptured by was called, "Aquarium".

I knew I had to use it on a video. So I spent some time hunting down the 2-and-a-half minute piece of music, then went looking for images to use. The music would work with so many images: rainfall, waterfalls, streams, spooky scenes, and so on. But I finally decided to go with Underwater images, and ... Seahorses. Why not, right?

So using Photo Story 3 for Windows I put this little video together. And I like it! Oh, I'm sure I could have done better with it, but, we're not really editing here, are we? Hah!

Now I've had problems with Blogger and video uploads, so this may not work. But if it does, enjoy. 2:30 of images and haunting, bitter-sweet music.

Sit back and relax, Folks. Here is benning's version of "Seahorses".

An Obama Thursday: Is He Serious?

2008-05-22T08:02:00.007-04:00

Barack Obama, linked to quite a few unsavory characters, including a racist, conspiracy-theorist Pastor, and an unrepentant terrorist from the 60s Weather Underground, continues to mis-step, mis-speak, and wander into corners from which he cannot escape. Now there's a suspicion that his church, the one headed, until recently, by the racist, conspiracy-theorist Pastor aforementioned, as a part of the United Church of Christ, has been using its tax-exempt monies to support Obama's candidacy. Something that is illegal, not to mention unethical. It's also something that would call for swift punishment were this a Republican candidate being so supported.

From "Obama's Sword of Damocles", at the Velvet Hammer blog:

[...] The Democratic Party then had to persuade the New Jersey Supreme Court to bypass the deadline for ballot changes to replace Toricelli with Frank Lautenberg. It is more than likely that the Democrats will find themselves in the same situation this year if Obama becomes the nominee, because of Obama's questionable use of the United Church of Christ's tax exempt resources to support his campaign. The Internal Revenue Service is currently investigating Obama's church and, depending on when it announces its findings, it will render Obama unelectable or (should he be elected before the IRS announces its findings), leave him with a crippled and scandal-ridden Presidency.
[...]

Obama does find interesting ways to get his hands on money, doesn't he? His dealings with Tony Rezko, in Chicago, are still being investigated, though the MSM seems uninterested. As usual, they are not doing their jobs, but continuing to act as cheerleaders and shields for Barack Obama. No wonder Hillary Clinton seems shocked at the protection Obama's been getting from the MSM. It used to be focused around the Clintons. Now she's been utterly abandoned.

Obama's use of a religious image, just before the Kentucky Primaries, is a little unsettling. Mike Huckabee caught the wrath of the MSM/Democrats when his Christmas message had what appeared to be a cross in the background (it was a bookshelf, artfully filmed to show it as a cross.). It may have been a tad tasteless in the middle of a primary campaign to pull that sort of 'subliminal' nonsense. But after all a cross in a Christmas message fits. A Christian symbol in a Christian Festival message.

But Obama's add was nothing subliminal at all. It was 'in-your-face', bold, obvious. And the message could not have been clearer. Obama was telling those White, gun-holding, Bible-thumping hicks that he is a Christian! A proud Christian. Nothing to be scared of; nothing to worry about!

Unethical, immoral, and tasteless is what the ad was. But I am not surprised. Not by anything the Obama campaign does. Listening, when I can stomach it, to a speech by Obama, his error-laden message makes me cringe. His outright lies are ignored by the media. And his supporters don't care. He's the Second Coming and you are a racist if you don't support him, too.

Obama may be the first viable 'black' candidate to run for President of the USA, but he's not a viable candidate to a lot of people. And it has nothing to do with his color. It has everything to do with his lack of judgment, his poor understanding of economics, his paucity of knowledge of the history of the USA. Even his comments using Biblical Scripture show a bizarre grasp of Christianity, much less Theology.

Obama's led a fairly sheltered life. He spent much of his formative years away from the United States of America, in Indonesia, or far from the mainland in Hawaii. He was placed in expensive prep schools, which further moved him away from his peers. Then off to Law school. His schooling gave him nothing in the way of a firm grasp on American life. Instead it taught him how to act like the privileged lad he was.

So, Obama may be a very educated man, but he isn't the smartest. For all the crap thrown on George W. Bush in his political life - from friends and foes alike - he managed to graduate from Yale and Harvard, build a very successful life, and win the Governorship of Texas and the Presidency of the United States of America. He did that with hard work, determination, and even quite a bit of intelligence, despite what his detractors wish. GWB is not the best President we've ever had. But he's been honest. Unlike WJClinton, JECarter - a very prolific liar. (Read the Hawkins interview with Robert Novak) - RMNixon, LBJohnson, and many more. Obama can't come close to GWB's level of honesty or principles.

And guess what? Obama is running against GWBush - who isn't running. That is when Obama can tear himself away from lying about John McCain. Maybe Obama believes what he's saying. Maybe he's being told things that aren't true and passing them off as fact. But he needs to find someone who will speak truth to him rather than stroke his immense ego. As the Roman Conqueror would be told as he rode through the streets of Rome in triumph: "All Fame is fleeting."

Obama needs to find the Truth. And stop being the puppet fo the insidious, power-hungry Left. Until then I will never vote for him. His color notwithstanding.

Enough of that. Here are some more amusing items about the Obamessiah.

Barack Obama: gaffe Machine, at Michelle Malkin’s blog, is a scary list of some of the errors of thought that continue to plague BO. I suggest you reacquaint yourself with BO's problems with the real world, if you still have any questions about him. While there, read the comments, too. I did. And I found some funnies, including these:

Comment by heroyalwhyness at Michelle Malkin, following a Obama's 'gaffe' post:

"email funny"

A teacher in Elmira , New York , who is an Obama supporter, asked her 4th grade class,'How many of you are Obama fans?' Not really knowing what an Obama fan is, but wanting to be liked by the teacher, all the kids raised their hands, except for Little Johnny.

The teacher asked Little Johnny why he has decided to be different?

Little Johnny said, 'Because I'm not an Obama fan.'

The teacher asked, 'Why aren't you an Obama fan?'

Johnny said, 'Because I'm a Republican.' The teacher asked him why he's a Republican.

Little Johnny answered, 'Well, my Mom's a Republican and my Dad's a Republican, so I'm a Republican.'

Annoyed by this answer, the teacher asked, 'If your mom was a moron and your dad was an idiot, what would that make you?'

With a big smile, Little Johnny replied, 'That would make me an Obama fan.'

Politicalguano also commented there:

BOs favorite show as a kid - the 4 Stooges.

BO reports that his parents actually inspired the book, "Uncle Tom's Cabin," which was actually written about his uncle Tom - who actually really wasn't his real uncle but they were close.

BOs favorite part of the US Constitution, "Black Americans shall not be accused of racism, and BOs ears shall never be mentioned."

BO remembers that while growing up, he personally handed Joseph Smith several plates of gold, but denies being a moron.

BO denies any mob connections although he is a Chicago politician with ties to indicted Tony R. "He is a supporter and a good friend and if you doubt it go ask him and he'll break your legs. Now get outta my face."

BO is half white, abandoned as usual by his black father (who is Muslim) and was raised by whites, denies all knowledge of white people except that they are bitter racists.

Bo is very afraid of his wife who can easily beat his *ss, or worse, tease him about his ears.

No matter how you slice it, BO stinks.

Perhaps the funniest was a link "Obama Bruvver" from nyc123me which brought you to this:

Click for a larger image!

Tomorrow Is National Maritime Day

2008-05-21T04:33:00.006-04:00

Tomorrow, May 22nd, is National Maritime Day in the United States. Frankly, most Americans ignore this observance if they know about it at all. But the United States was founded by people who did not walk to the North American continent but sailed here. The Maritime legacy and traditions of this country are older than the nation itself.

Holiday Smart says, about National Maritime Day:

National Maritime Day is a day for the U.S. to observe its proud maritime heritage and honor the men and women who serve and have served as merchant mariners.

From the Legal Information Institute at Cornell University:

TITLE 36 > Subtitle I > Part A > CHAPTER 1 > § 128

§ 128. National Maritime Day

(a) Designation.— May 22 is National Maritime Day.

(b) Proclamation.— The President is requested to issue each year a proclamation calling on—

(1) the people of the United States to observe National Maritime Day by displaying the flag of the United States at their homes or other suitable places; and

(2) United States Government officials to display the flag on all Government buildings on National Maritime Day.

President Ronald Reagan, in 1986, gave us this history lesson as a part of his official Proclamation:

A Proclamation

From the very beginning, America has been a seafaring Nation. In fact, the discovery of our continent was the result of one of the most daring seafaring adventures in human history. Even before the founding of the Republic, our people looked to the sea -- for peaceful trade and to ensure prosperity.

The sea-lanes were the pathways to new beginnings in a new world for millions who came to our shores and helped to build a country already rich in trading and seafaring traditions.

American maritime leadership was also reflected in ship design. The fabled "Yankee Clippers" of the early 19th century represented the first major innovation in wind-powered craft since the 15th century. They dashed across the seas at unprecedented speeds, making them the ultimate in merchant sail. And when steam-powered vessels began to eclipse sailing ships in the latter part of the 19th century, it was largely the result of pioneering work by two Americans, John Fitch and Robert Fulton.

Since America fronted on the world's two largest oceans, it was fitting that an American naval officer, Alfred Thayer Mahan, should have been the author of the first major historical study of the influence of sea power in geopolitics. Theodore Roosevelt, who as a young man was the first to review Mahan's book, later, as President, took the lead in providing the United States with its first world-class navy. From this rich heritage, America emerged as the greatest trading Nation on earth.

All of us today owe a debt of gratitude to the civilian merchant mariners who have braved the perils of the sea and the assaults of enemies who threatened our way of life. Through the centuries, untold numbers sacrificed their lives to preserve American freedom. In World War II alone, nearly 6,000 U.S. merchant seamen aboard 733 American ships were lost in enemy attacks. But our sea-lane lifelines remained open.

It is appropriate that we pause to pay tribute to those civilian sailors, past and present, in our commercial fleet and to all other Americans who support them and guard the lifelines of the sea that sustain us all.

In recognition of the importance of the American merchant marine, the Congress, by joint resolution approved May 20, 1933, designated May 22 of each year as National Maritime Day" and authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation calling for its appropriate observance. This date was chosen to commemorate the day in 1819 when the SS SAVANNAH departed Savannah, Georgia, on the first transatlantic steamship voyage.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 22, 1986, as National Maritime Day, and I urge the people of the United States to observe this day by displaying the flag of the United States at their homes and other suitable places, and I re-quest that all ships sailing under the American flag dress ship on that day.

In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and tenth.

Ronald Reagan

I've never celebrated National Maritime Day. It certainly passes below the radar for most Americans. But it's important to understand why it is a 'holiday' and what we owe to the many Americans who keep our nation moving, commercially and militarily, on the high seas, and have done so since the very inception of the United States of America.

As mentioned in the proclamation, the day of the observance commemorates the sailing of the S.S.Savannah on May 22, 1819. This ship was the first steamship in the world to sail across an ocean, traveling from Savannah, South Carolina, to Liverpool, England. She made the trip in 29 days, 4 hours. She used the steam engines part of the time, and was under sail the rest of the time. So new was the ship and its technology, that many aboard wondered what the reaction would be when she reached Europe. As this page about the S.S.Savannah describes:

Finally on May 22, 1819, the Savannah "put to sea with steam and sails" on the historic trip that would take her to England, Sweden and Russia with stops in Norway and Denmark before returning home.

[Captain] Moses Rogers well understood the reaction of uninformed persons seeing for the first time the Savannah sailing with bare poles under steam. He eagerly awaited for the first European to react, which happened off the coast of Ireland. An attendant at a signal station spotted the Savannah and immediately assumed she was on fire.

The speedy British revenue cutter Kite was dispatched to the rescue. However, the Kite found herself chasing the Savannah for four or five hours before she caught up to her, enabling the "rescuing" Lt. Bowie to board her and discover the incredible truth. As can be imagined, the newspapers told and retold the story to delight their readers - ever expanding on the length of the chase and the prowess of the American vessel and her captain. A Russian newspaper not only changed the locale of the chase to Scotland, but also claimed that the Kite never caught up. Actually, the most amusing part of the incident was not revealed until years later in separate accounts by Stevens, Rogers, and A. Thomas, a fireman on board. The only way the Kite could stop the Savannah was by firing several warning shots across her stern!

The Savannah was ahead of her time. Too far ahead, it seems:

In October 1819, the Savannah started the long trip home, making brief stops at Copenhagen and at Arendall, Norway. On November 30, she anchored once more in Savannah, a noble marine experiment completed. Yet for all the effort and talented thinking lavished on her, she was a financial failure. Steamboats on a river were one thing: ocean-going steamships another. Not until 1838, when the British Sirius and Great Western crossed the Atlantic under continuous steam would the public trust themselves or their cargo to this new type of ship. No other American steamship succeeded until the Massachusetts in 1845.

A postage stamp was issued to commemorate her voyage, and mark National Maritime Day, in 1944.

For more information about Maritime Day, or the Merchant Marine, try the DOT's Maritime Administration page: "A Short History on National Maritime Day"

Note: I apologize most abjectly for not posting for Armed Forces Day. I fully intended to do so, but ... Dang! Anyway, here's an earlier post on the subject, if you're interested. Again, sorry. I should've been Johnny-on-the-spot!

Don't forget: Memorial Day is this weekend - May 26. Observed on Monday, it was originally celebrated on May 30th. To give all of us that 'three-day-weekend' we craved, Congress - always wise in its ways - added Memorial Day to the Uniform Holidays Bill. Thus it is celebrated on the last Monday in May. Nothing like moving a solemn remembrance of fallen American servicemen and women to a more convenient three-day-weekend to make us all remember, eh?

Two Jewels Set In The Crown

2008-05-17T18:52:00.007-04:00

JASON SZENES, EPA

Big Brown, with jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard,

crosses the finish line to win the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.

Coming around the final turn, in the 133rd running of the Preakness Stakes, at Pimlico Racetrack in Baltimore, Big Brown ran the same race he ran two weeks ago at the Kentucky Derby. Once again the big horse ran away from the rest of the field. No other horse was close at the finish.

Breaking easily out of the starting gate, Big Brown took the initial lead, the jockey - Kent Desormeaux - reined him back, and Big Brown was passed and turned in toward the rail. He gained the third spot for most of the race until heading into the final turn. Then the jockey steered him out from the rail and outside he went. Just behind the second place horse Big Brown began to surge, and the two horses passed the leader. Then Big Brown moved ahead and began the dash to the finish line.

Once ahead, and aimed at the finish-line, Big Brown pulled away. The jockey didn’t use his whip - he didn’t need one. As the horse moved along after the race, cooling down, he was still eager to run, his ears flicking back seeking a contender. After all, there hadn’t been a contender during the actual race. Macho Again finished second, and Ichabod Crane was third.

Kent Desormeaux rode a perfect race for Big Brown. He constantly looked over his shoulder, under his arm, wherever he could, to see if any horse was gaining. He held Big Brown back until the end, making sure that his colt used just enough energy to win.

This looked almost like a repeat of the Derby, sans the tragedy following the end.

So, Two Jewels are in the Crown. Can Big Brown win the Belmont Stakes in three weeks? If so Big Brown will be the first colt to take the Triple Crown in 30 years. The year was 1978. The horse was Affirmed, whose exciting matches against Alydar in all three races were some of the most exciting races ever run. 6 horses since 1978 have won the first two races of the Triple Crown. None has succeeded. June 17 will see whether this horse can do what no other has done since Affirmed. Win the Triple Crown.

Big Brown has now run 5 races in his career. Not a startling number unless you consider it’s a small number to have run. And he’s undefeated. Will he make it 6 wins without a loss?

Silk Pony Endorses The Obamessiah

2008-05-14T18:42:00.008-04:00

Who's the Silk Pony? Who's the Silk Pony? Yeah, I'm the Silk Pony!

According to numerous Media outlets, John Edwards (D-Wimpy Silk Pony) has flown to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to endorse Barack Obama for the Democratic Presidential nomination. One rich, Leftist loon endorses another rich, Leftist loon.

*yawn*

Does anything John Edwards (D-Embryo Channeler) have to say have meaning? He is a political loser, twice over. And now he's flown all the way to Michigan to endorse the front-runner. Truly evidence of Edwards' courage.

*yawn*

This picture, evidently with no sarcasm intended, accompanied an endorsement of B.O. by the Oregon newspaper Willamette Week

As posted at Moonbattery with editorial insanity excerpts.

And so it goes in American Politics in the early 21st Century. Sheesh!

Sister Toldjah has "His Royal Phoniness endorses Barack Obama".

Patrick takes a look at a problem for Obama: "Obama’s Cultural Hurdle"

Of course Obama has some cheerleaders. From Moonbattery: "Palestinians Running Phone Banks for Obama"

Update: Patrick's post is based on this post of Right Wing Prof's.

Amazing Lightning Display In Chile

2008-05-08T12:01:00.008-04:00

A second post for the day. Be amazed at that, if nothing else! Click on any image for a better view. All lightning images are courtesy of Terra.

The eruption of a volcano is terrifying. It is also awe-inspiring to watch - from the safety of your living room - magnificent in it's fury and immensity. Images of the recent Chilean eruption of the volcano Chaiten show once again how terrible the earth can be. How utterly insignificant humans are in the face of such natural ferocity.

One of the most awesome displays during an eruption are the electrical discharges that accompany it. The lightning show amazes the observer. Lightning not only crackles from cloud to cloud, and cloud to ground, but crawls around the billowing smoke and ash clouds. And though I have been aware that lightning often accompanies volcanic eruptions, I only just started wondering why? What causes lightning to appear during an eruption?

Ian O'Neill at Universe Today has an explanation I think I understand:

Lightning can happen as a result of a volcanic eruption. As the hot ash rises through the cooler atmosphere, transfer of charge occurs. This excess of electrons within the cloud makes it act like a capacitor, and should the conditions be correct, huge electrical discharges may be observed as bolts of lightning during volcanic eruptions. It seems that the Chaiten volcano's recent activity has created the perfect conditions for such a show, allowing photographers in the region to capture some stunning images.

Catching Patrick's post reminded me that I had wanted to look into this phenomenom. Thanks, Patrick! Regarding this eruption, Universe Today also remarked:

This region of South America has some very active plate tectonics and has been dubbed "Andean Arc" region of Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Columbia containing around 200 to 300 volcanoes. Volcanologists are highly concerned as many of these volcanoes are located in densely populated areas, so they are studying the Chaiten eruption very carefully. The small town of Chaiten is being threatened by this particular eruption, but fortunately the surrounding area is otherwise unpopulated.

Although I've read some accounts saying this volcano has not eruptd in 450 years, some sites indicate that Chaiten has been slumbering for as many as 9,000 years. Earth Observatory - Natural Hazards reports:

Radiocarbon dating of the last lava flow from Chaitén Volcano suggests that the volcano last erupted in 7420 BC, plus or minus 75 years, says the Global Volcanism Program. The volcano has a history of explosive eruptions with pyroclastic flows associated with dome collapse. During an eruption, some volcanoes build a dome of lava. Eventually, hot blocks of lava break away from the dome, triggering a fast-moving avalanche of hot volcanic ash, gas, and lava, called a pyroclastic flow. As of May 5, ash continued to rise from the volcano, but no pyroclastic flows had been reported.

The image from that site is a satellite photograph taken on May 3rd. It shows the extent of the plume.

Wow!

Thoughts For This Morning

2008-05-08T08:37:00.008-04:00

I've been busy, writing and goofing off, since my last post. The writing is part of our yearly Private Novel Writing Month, which is a mid-year version of National Novel Writing Month. Some of us who are alumni of the F2K: Free Writing Course offered by Writers' Village University, got together following the NaNo event in 2005 and wondered if we could do something like it a few months later So I set up a blog and invited all the folks who's expressed interest, and off we went.

The goals are the same: 50,000 words in a month. Easy, you may think, but not really. Not when you are trying to write something new. One of our ensemble - a lady from Malaysia - managed 102,000 words that year! Some of us - me, included - made the 50K mark. Didn't matter. The idea was to spur the actual writing by laying down a deadline. It seems to work. And this is our third year doing PriNoWriMo. One week down, more to come!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Anyway, following the sad events following the Kentucky Derby, I noticed the same Moonbats crawling out of the woodwork. They wanted the jockey arrested and charged with Cruelty to Animals; they wanted the trainer arrested for the same thing; they wanted the track veterinarian investigated. And what can you do except shake your head? How silly and ignorant can people get?

Anybody with a lick of sense knows that a horse that finishes in the money in a Triple Crown race is a valuable commodity, if nothing else. That horse is worth much more than the money she earns on the track itself. No owner would willy-nilly have a horse put down if she could be saved. Her survival would mean a lot of money flowing into the owner's coffers in the future.

The simple, sad fact is that Eight Belles suffered what is a catastrophic injury after the race. Both her front ankles broken. She had nothing left to stand on. Casts are out of the question. Hoisting her in a sling would not work. Huge animals like thoroughbreds are heavy and easily suffer respiratory ailments slung up like that. All that weight causes problems inside the horse's body. And without any way for that horse to put weight on her front legs ...

The track veterinarian made the right call. He put the filly out of her misery. It was quick and relatively painless. She received an injection and went to sleep. The old way of shooting the injured horse is not used at a modern race track.

The weeping Moonbats should be thankful that this horse was put down quickly and efficiently. Eight Belles, as I said before, ran a tremendous race. Her ending was sad. But it was, and will be, a part of horse racing.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I got to wondering about Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I see the commercials, and remember the commercials from years ago:

"You got chocolate in my peanut butter!"
"You got peanut butter on my chocolate!"

And I wanted to know a little more about this candy. So, naturally, I googled!

And information about the creator of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups isn't exactly overwhelming. But there's enough to give you an idea.

Harry Burnett (H.B.) Reese made candies in his basement. He didn't start with Peanut Butter Cups, for which he is known, but with a few simple candy bars. Reese's Raisin Clusters and Chocolate-Covered Dates were fairly well thought of. But H.B.Reese hit his stride when he developed the Peanut Butter Cup. That was introduced in the mid-1920s.

Reese, born in 1879, in Frosty Hill, Pennsylvania, was raised on a farm, and as an adult worked as a farmer, fish packaging worker, and did other factory work. He first played around with candy-making in Hummelstown, PA, and then in Palmyra, PA. He was hired by Milton Hershey to work at Hershey's dairy farm about 1916. Eventually he went to work in one of the Hershey chocolate factories. Reese was still working there when he started making his own candies in the basement of his house. I think he'd probably learned quite a bit from Milton Hershey about making candy.

After 1928 his Peanut Butter Cups - originally called "penny cups" because they cost a penny each - were becoming very popular. So popular that he quit his Hershey's job and built his own candy-making factory. Right in Hershey, PA. The demand for his Reese's Peanut Butter Cups grew so large that he stopped production on his other candies and made Peanut Butter Cups only.

Mr. Hershey didn't seem to see Reese as a competitor. Reese was, in fact, a customer of the Hershey company, buying his chocolate exclusively from Hershey. Reese made his own peanut butter mixture for the filling. The chocolate for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups was supplied in 10-pound blocks and Reese eventually became Hershey's second largest chocolate customer after Mars. It is reported that Milton Hershey kept a stash of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in his desk. Not a bad recommendation, is it?

Eight days shy of his 77th birthday, on May 16th, 1956, H.B.Reese died of a heart attack. He was buried in the Hershey Cemetery, alongside his wife and just footsteps from Mr Hershey's grave. Seven years after Reese's death the H.B. Reese Candy Company was bought by Hershey's. His children received about 5% of the Hershey stock. The price for the company? $23.5 million. That's a lot of money for a candy company, but I suspect Hershey's never had any qualms about it. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups continue today, with new additions, some good, some not-so-good. The advertising remains funny, and refreshingly original. And the Cups themselves? I like 'em! They aren't M&Ms, but I do like 'em, and I like the Reese's Pieces, too.

Mr. Reese's grandson, Andrew Reese, has written a biography of his famous grandfather that is due out sometime this year. If you're interested in Reese or his Peanut Butter Cups, this might be an interesting book to buy. But buy mine first, Dagnabbit!

Chocablog has a British take on the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

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So there you have my thoughts for this morning. I had grits for breakfast - something I only do on my days off - and a nice pot of coffee. I'm still surfing the Web a bit, and rereading what I wrote yesterday to spur more scenes in m head. I will be writing!

Have a great day, Friends!