The Flag still Flies
Bullet Points:
** Justice Thomas, writing the concurring opinion in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, refutes the dissent of Justice Jackson. It’s worth reading.
** I heard that by law, you’re supposed to turn on your headlights when it’s raining in Sweden. How am I supposed to know when it’s raining in Sweden?
** Joe Biden’s Brain – wow, he has one?
** Article: What would America’s founders think of Pedo Joe? They’d hang him.
** In France – The Gendarmerie has raided the homes of Fremch Patriots. the Internet is censored. The French Police Union Threatens: “Tomorrow We Will Be in Resistance” Against “Savage Hordes” Instead of supporting the local patriots.
French police fired tear gas to dispel militia patrols in Lyon and immediately conducted raids at the homes of French National activists. It led many observers to wonder why the police could respond so quickly to attempts to defend French communities, but not the rioters.
Aussies in Vietnam
Australian soldiers in Vietnam, with their modified guns.
The Aussies were issued the FN-FAL, designated Service Light Rifle (SLR). Many felt that it didn’t perform as well as it should in the jungles, so they went to modify it; usually by sawing off the barrel, adding a forward pistol grip, and filing down the selector, and sometimes adding a grenade launcher (many other modifications and configurations were done but these was the most common).
The modifications seriously amped up their firepower, which was a serious plus for them; Australian soldiers were in small numbers in Vietnam, and this made them seem like a MUCH more formidable force during firefights in low-visibility jungle environments.
Many of them “picked up” M-40 thumpers from where they found them and put them into use.
I hope that you’ve picked up your copy of Hunting in the Shadows by Michael Watson and have given his new book a blazingly wonderful review.
Why the Difference?
Surveillance Culture
Retro
The war to end all wars is dragging on. F.I 103/17 is already showing signs of heavy use after less than a month of service. Two modifications, appearing as rectangular and circular light patches just aft of the cowling, are also clearly evident in these images. F.I 103/17 was fitted with a 120 hp Le Rhone captured from a Nieuport 17.
Fokker V.7S, work number 1788 at Adlershof fitted with its 11-cylinder Sh.III engine. Nominally rated at 160 hp, the Sh.III counter-rotary normally produced about 205 hp. No airfoil is fitted over the axle.
Identify the Tank
Identify the Aircraft
From the Days of Fighting Sail
Identify the Tank:
Centaur IV
Yes
France: why am I not surprised? Is it still Hate Think to say “Kalergi” or “Raspail”? Or are those elevated to Hate Crimes now.
Associate Justice Jackson is the daughter of a lawyer and a school principal. Sure it’s not like having the advantages of say a Pritzker or a Kushner, but that sounds comfortably middle class (at a minimum) and considerably more privileged than Associate Justice Thomas’ childhood. But I’m sure Ketanji Onyika is more disadvantaged: why her name has the word “Brown” in it. Proof! Whereas Clarence just has a dorky white-guy name.
The name Ketanji probably helped her to some extent, being obviously nonstandard but not stereotypically risible (such Liquisha or Johnmarvalious). Most articles say her given name is “African” which is as informative saying a name is “European” (Bruce, Vaçlav, Toivo, Sven, Maximilian, Eneko, Tadeusz; yep “Euro” sure nails it down.) Supposedly some relative in the Peace Corps somewhere in west Africa recommended the name. Okay, why not? But a Psychology Today article says it’s Swahili. Again with the damn Swahili, an East African language, when the majority of American blacks are of west African ancestry, and the naming auntie was in west Africa. Makes little sense. It’d be like my (Chinese) parents giving me a Turkmen or Tibetan name because those are “Asian”. But I’ll bet the name helped her. In the same vein, would Mumia Abu-Jamal have become a cause célèbre if he’d remained Wesley Cook?
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/who-am-i-who-are-we/202204/i-give-you-supreme-court-justice-ketanji-brown-jackson?amp
The headlight rule is easy: It’s always stormy in Sweden. (#totallynotbitter; Ahahaha!)
Spoke to an old friend from fellowship yesterday. He’s a life long Chicagoan apart from training Boston. Lives in the longest-lived “Near Northshore”. His take on Chicago? “This place has gone to shit.”
I’m surprised that Mordor on the Potomac is not high on the most surveilled city list. I’m on my way to NYFC as I peck this out on my ancient iPhone 6s. Acela, sitting next to a public defender (admittedly quite cute) by random chance.
Why would Mordor on the Potomac be surveilled? The people in charge there want to hide their crimes, and they encourage the petty crimes of the local slum populace.
-Kle.
Good point. Gordon Liddy pointed out that prevalent “street crime” in and around WDC was useful cover for “dirty tricks”. (Not his euphemism.)
I’m on the train back to Boston and it’s taken on a surreal turn. The conductor (or other official person) is making announcements very loudly and excitedly on the PA. To the point where I suspect Peruvian Marching Powder. Okay, that’s how things are. But for the most recent stop this guy (an American fellow) did the announcement in a bad fake Australian accent. Weird.
Sometimes it’s seriously difficult to decide whether the behavior is due to a severe personality disorder, organic brain damage as the result of a birth defect or injury, or street drugs (difficult to guess the dosage before you take them). Sometimes people want attention due to whatever and don’t know where to draw the line. I avoid common carriers when I can but I also understand that the East Coast has a developed transportation matrix that is not available elsewhere in the US.
I traveled between NYC (back before there was an F in the name – NYFC), Albany, White Plains, and DC. As with NYC sidewalks, nobody would make eye contact on the train. As a result, I played mind games with fellow travelers. They were just too easy. One guy who turned out to be an Attorney was an easy mark. I pretended that we’d been in prison together. Another young lady (my age at the time) became a former girlfriend who broke up with me and I demanded to know why. During the conversation, I disclosed totally fabricated details of her private llife. — My point is that sometimes there’s a guy on the train who’s an asshole.
Curtis XP-60, I think maybe an XP-60E.
I think a XP-60C.
It’s a C model
Identify the tank
Mark VIII Cromwell
To be exact the Australian Army called the FAL –
The Self Loading Rifle L1A1 7.62mm
The was the full auto version the Automatic Rifle L1A2 7.62 mm. Weighted 17 pounds and too forward heavy.
One modification used by our RSM when he was a sergeant in Vietnam was –
the auto selector out of the L2 model plus bipod and 30 round magazine.
Used a second squad machine gun.
Said it saved their lives when their M60 jammed one day.
Paper matchstick in the right place under the sear makes the regular FAL full auto.
I’m a bit over a quarter of the way through Hunting In the Shadows. Very interesting read and quite well written. I haven’t yet left a review, but when I do it will be positive.
also ’bout ¼way thru (woulda been finished – lotta imterruptions just now)
easy read n’ very well-written; he pulls you right into his patrols just as though you were an invisible observer. very highly impressed with his story-telling ability.
at this point, I’d give the book (in all catagories) ’bout 6* outta a possible 5
Justice Thomas is a gift to the nation and is, in my opinion, seriously under appreciated.
It doesn’t surprise me that the French police are going after the groups of French citizens trying to maintain order or that the French government is trying to stifle communications. Much easier than going after “peaceful” migrants.
George Orwell was prescient.
Hope everyone had a good Independence Day.
The controlling elite in France sees anyone treading on their territory as a bigger danger than the Muslim insurgents.
I’m not sure about the wisdom of using that rifle as a walking stick, muzzle-down. Or the other way, either.
OTOH, if that guy’s still alive I’m sure he can still kick may ass, so I won;t make a big thing out of it.
-Kle.
Ill bet its wearing one of those plastic m-16 muzzle caps widely used there. http://vietnamgear.com/vgphotos/M16cap.jpg
Interesting discussion here, Camel vs. DR1–
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z25T-s0gu8M
Looks like the Aussies picked up more than M-40’s (no surprise). There are a couple of M-14’s in that photo as well.
That was informative. Thanks.
Doesn’t everyone know the Supreme Court is now a rogue branch of government that needs (unconstitutional) oversight by another Branch because of the conservative Constitutionals not voting the way The Swamp demands ? Or is it just the Dems saying that because they are a bunch of whiners, weasels, and immature power hungry brats.
Nah, that can’t be it. (A joke)
Justice Thomas is a brilliant and principled man, which is exactly why the Swamp Creatures despise him…because they are not. Shine a light on scum and it tries to obscure the brightness.
The Supreme Court is actually 1/3 of “our” government’s checks & balances power setup. Probably not what the Founding Fathers imagined but what is these days with the govt controlled by money?
Exactly…and the more the Dem-Idiots spout off to the contrary, using their unique brand of tortured logic thinking, the more stupid they look to the rational thinking person. Again, our back road travel over a 1000 miles one-way proved the Dem’s ONLY control cities and many urban areas (clearly as those areas fall further into 3rd World decay and criminality), the rest of the country does not think like them.
This from VDH: https://youtu.be/faPNpovMeuU
totally unable to understand this (I’m not quite certain of the best adjective) unbelievable push to destroy our long-standing republic – the “why” of it – by people (and their ancestors) who’ve only benefited from it (OK mebbe not 100%, !00% of the time, but at least 99% or they wouldn’t be here to do the damage they’re accomplishing)
Why! do they really think they’re really going to improve the Utopia in which they’ve grown up!
Are they really that dumb!
The best possible example I’ve seen over the past 80+ years is the long, slow evolution of the private golf course/club into public housing – wadda joke!
OK! OK! end of rant
Darwinian success for elites looks like ancient Egypt: our family are demi-gods, all of you are peasants who serve us, and that doesn’t change for a thousand years; go kill that guy with the steam turbine model. I think part of the cause of the 200 year historical cycle is the failure to train royal children in kingsmanship. Today, elite children go to Yale and Harvard and learn the same Keynesian nonsense meant to confuse the upper-middle class and keep it from competing with the elites.
~~~~~
Like the Titanic’s “watertight” compartments which didn’t reach to the top, the BOR’s failure is total. Today the IRS does what the third amendment prohibits: eating you out of house and home, taking away your stored wealth and preventing you from compounding it.
should the third be interpreted as literal or figurative (more particularly at this point in time since the IRS is now armed)?
Eventually, the IRS will demand significant armor since light armor can be defeated by a number of firearms/ammo in civilian hands. They’ll need air too – More than a LOH? Likely something like Blackhawks.
Why? My knuckledragging crackpot brane damjd theory is that the three leading causes (in this former republic) are: resentment, hatred (and the pre-emptive revenge that goes along with the hatred), and finally a genuine desire to improve the world. The proportions of each differ depending on who the agent of chaos is, and the particular situation, but those are the big three.
I really doubt plain evil is ever the root motivation. I can guarantee you that Karl Marx did not think of himself as evil, or even a bad man. Soros is not a villain in his own mind. Nor is Gates. Barbara Lerner Specter was probably mostly sincere when she have her infamous “fundamental transformation of Europe” speech. In their minds they are the Good People, unappreciated and unfairly reviled because they are more sensitive, more kind, more humane, than us evil bastards who believe in rule of law, (good) institutions, tradition, folk and heimat, and mostly want to be left alone.
Members of the DC Swamp Culture (extending bi-coastal) consider themselves to be underappreciated by the little people (people like You, Mike_C) who don’t understand that their betters simply want what is best for them. They are the Illuminati, the enlightened. (all hail) Extreme Libertarian’s example of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom is not far off. The people who are born to rule are trained in Satan’s Vaticans, graduating and feeling that they themselves are the victims – of course. It’s not surprising to see the spawn of the overlords in the ranks of ANTIFA where they can play out their baser instincts.
Oh I don’t merely under-appreciate them, I don’t appreciate them at all, not one bit.
This may be a personal failing of mine, but I hate hypocrites more than I hate honest villains. And our “elites” are all about their own suffering due to being exploited, while living large and conveniently just happening to not notice how much they oppress others.
I’m back to my well placed meteor treatment to rid ourselves of the bums and cheats that inhabit DC. A days warning is all they’ll get, then ‘POOF’…dust to dust.
should the third be interpreted as literal or figurative (more particularly at this point in time since the IRS is now armed)?
Taxing authorities are always armed; in the Whiskey Rebellion they sent they sent General Washington and an army. I think the 3A original intent was, don’t be ruined by having all your savings taken to feed government employees. Today they prefer you to deliver your savings with a check, rather than with forks around a mess table. I see that as a technological improvement in shipping, unrelated to the main point of not being ruined. If you don’t send a check they will still come collect in person, and if all you have is food or land they still accept it.
After many years I finally concocted that a) “evil” is a label applied by others, and b) one form of evil is the deliberate refusal to learn from experience. Aristocrats can be evil while they see themselves as wise rulers. I also claim Orwell’s doublethink is method acting, for the same purpose of getting more of the brain to present consistent with the lie. If you demonstrate to an honest liberal that the minimum wage doesn’t work as claimed, they will be alarmed and reply thoughtfully and hesitantly. But an evil person already knows all the fallacious forms of the lie and can hop between them like a 15-square puzzle.
Wide ranging coverage today, and picked up Watson’s book. I’ll get a review up as soon as I finish it.