Bullet Points:
** Just the News, “Left-wing activists on Wednesday protested outside congressional offices demanding that the Biden administration push for a negotiated end to the ongoing war in Ukraine.”
But it was a mostly peaceful insurrection. How many will the FBI arrest and DOJ incarcerate indefinitely?
** Smuggling – (h/t Claudio) Russia has developed ways to produce more cruise missiles despite the severe economic sanctions imposed after they invaded Ukraine. Russia has found new sources for components, some of them obtained by smuggling or purchases of components that can be adapted for use in missile production. Most of the smuggling is done via Armenia and Turkey, two countries that are hospitable to smuggling if it has some benefits for locals. Although Turkey is a NATO member, smuggling is tolerated if smugglers pay the right people for access. Such corrupt behavior has long prevented Turkey from joining the European Union.
** Newsweek reported, “Donald Trump Followers Targeted by FBI as 2024 Election Nears.”
New House Speaker Suggestions
Zelensky because he knows how to run Congress; Alec Baldwin because we need a straight shooter; Sara Lee because nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee; and Elon Musk because he’s shown he can make things run better by laying off 75% of the staff.
When unicorns fart all over economic reality.
Let’s see just how long this auto workers’ strike lasts. It’s not about the 46% pay raise but the 2009 Obama deal that took away cost-of-living adjustments. It’s not really about the short run, either.
But let’s see what the auto workers get in the face of President Biden’s unrealistic demand that would force us to buy Chinese battery-powered vehicles…that sit on the car lots unsold, causing dealers to pay high-interest rates.
The sheep will remain loyal – just as they are to every other radical idea – because resisting is uncool or, worse, they would be scorned by trannies and de-platformed from woke society.
The “irredeemable deplorables” (who buck the system) are getting restless about an all-out plunge into the uncharted waters of the EV world – a world dominated by China and its forced laborers in Xinjiang and Congolese child laborers.
It’s funny how bedfellows make strange politics. The UAW bosses are all in with the EV mandate, but the rank and file just cheered an Orange man in a red elephant jacket.
Witness the battle of the century, between those seeking to control all thought and action and those who only seek to control some (controversial) thought and action – a real-world game of thrones. Power, not progress, or even prosperity, is the goal. And, of course, big money.
French Air Force “Balloon Guns”
Mousqueton Berthier Mle1892 w/Chauchat magazine
The Berthier carbines were French firearms designed to equip artillery and cavalrymen, or really anyone for whom a full-sized Lebel infantry rifle would be unwieldy. Its small size made it equally popular with aérostiers and other airmen who had to operate in cramped conditions surrounded by riggings and struts.
A short run of carbines meant to be used in said setting were upgraded from using their original three round en-bloc clip to a nominally twenty-round Chauchat automatic rifle magazine, often underloaded for reliability. This gave its operator a decent amount of firepower, although it was found to be inadequate and replaced with import semi-automatic rifles from Winchester or Remington, before more fully automatic guns could be delivered to the French air force.
During week of October 1941…
Heinz Guderian noted in his diary that he had observed snow for the first time in the campaign in the Soviet Union.
The original plan for Operation Barbarossa was extremely sketchy for such a massive operation. One of the odder aspects of planning was that the endpoints for the invasion were never set forth, and became vaguer and more nebulous the further along planning got.
The first battle plans, prepared for the OKW by General Erich Marcks in mid-1940, actually did set forth a terminal line of the invasion. Marcks proposed the “A-A line” as the operational objective. This was to run from the northern city of Arkhangelsk on the Arctic Sea through Gorky and Rostov to the port city of Astrakhan at the mouth of the Volga on the Caspian Sea. This assumed that the European portion of Russia and its satellites was the only part of the country of any interest and importance. There, the German Army could stop and set up a defensive line beyond which whatever was left of the Soviet Union could be allowed to wither away, as it would pose no threat.
After the Marcks Plan (as it came to be called), though, the idea of any kind of ultimate objective for the Wehrmacht disappeared. The debate instead degenerated into one of whether or not it was even important to get to Moscow, let alone reach any points further east. The prevailing theory – primarily Hitler’s – was that the entire Soviet Union would capitulate after a few decisive border battles destroyed the Red Army, failing that Hitler issued a directive to pursue the Soviets.
As of the first week of October 1941, there had been no “pursuit” in the Soviet Union or at least none that has lasted very long. Every steppe had been contested, every river was defended, every city was fought over and sometimes even been boobytrapped after the Red Army fell back. The defense was uncoordinated and lacking in effectiveness on many occasions, but the Red Army fought all the way.
Now, the best campaigning months of 1941 were already gone and it would only get worse before it got better again. The Rasputitsa* just began.
*In countries of the Soviet Union, the term has referred to two periods during the year — spring and autumn — and also refers to impassable road conditions during such a period, specifically the heavy rains of October and the thaw of the frozen steppe in March.
Given all that, the astounding underestimation of the effectiveness of Red Army opposition during the planning stage of Operation Barbarossa had not really hampered German operations yet, it just has required adjustments to compensate for a slower rate of advance than anticipated. The tanks still ran, the trucks still carried supplies, the horses were still fed from grain in the fields.
However, everything was about to change forever, that October in 1941. The men on the front line saw why after dark as the snow fell around them. The lack of effective antifreeze for trucks or tanks, the lack of chains for wheeled vehicles, the absence of winter clothing which was considered superfluous in June – all of a sudden these omissions loomed large.
Identify the Aircraft
The notation on the fuselage is “experimental” but it’s now a production aircraft.
Identify the Aircraft:
Calidus B-350
That it is. It’s an interesting aircraft.
Looks like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade trainer-turned COIN aircraft balloon.
They haven’t done anything to mask the engine’s (hot) exhaust…
This is interesting.
At virtualmirage.org, for the last few days, only the first photo in the list of posts, shows up in Chrome.
No matter how many times I refresh.
Edge displays them all.
When I tried to post the previous comment in Chrome, I got a 501 error and it did not post.
I posted it in Edge.
The struggle continues, Ed.
Yep, noticed some weirdness using the Falkon browser, and surprisingly, FireFox now functions normally!
Ed, for years the photo’s would not always load in Firefox, refresh did nothing. It was intermittent. But lately they usually load just fine. I have learned to pause at the page open and give it a second before scrolling…that seems to help. And this is not blog post related, one hour it may load the next it might not. First world problem for me…but [full disclosure] in the process of right-clicking on an aircraft photo to see it in a new tab it comes up with the aircraft description. If I weren’t honest I could become a sudden savant and give Surly and a few others a run for their money, but as Nixon said “We could do that but it would be wrong”.
Ed, I use Brave, a derivative of Chrome and Pale Moon browsers and I experience those same lack of pictures showing, tho, I am able to comment. I will not use Edge at all, a more perfect surveillance platform for gooogglles.
My use of Edge was only as a test.
FJB said, do I dare repeat? 500k charging stations by 2030. But for whom? For all the ” we the people” woke enough to buy a Chinese Junk ( not a ship) ?? No, FJB said, all “government” vehicles goin green, not yours! Only 650k privileged people, indentured servants of gov.chicom, all hailing allegiance to his vow to go green and clean…Com’on man! Wa u smokin??? Entonces, USA labor unions promised the moon during campaigns, are now playing into the hands of ” Our Democracy” = Their totalitarianism. From “day one” the design was revealed and declared by executive order; details outlined just as L.L. reports, as Uncle Barry’s marionettes now trying to disperse those aluminum pop cans off the sales lot by force.
Just reviewed back to 1/25/2023 for the details of proposing regulation that can implement such tyranny.
“Biden criticized existing rules that allow vehicles to be considered U.S. made when purchased by the U.S. government even if they have significant non-American made components.
Biden said he would close “loopholes” that allow key parts like engines, steel and glass to be manufactured abroad for vehicles considered U.S. made.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biden-autos-idUSKBN29U2LW
P.S. I sure hope our votes will be able to turn this nihilism around so it doesn’t come to this: https://youtu.be/b1LTot-Q42I?si=sxUvn176wCIJNfNl
Who counts the votes?
It goes back to 2010, with the trial runs, Hugo Chavez taking the helm. ( source; Huffington Post and The Center Square, contributor – Orlando Avendado )
Smartmatic and Sequoia integrated with Dominion.
( except in places like Texas) As for the head of the snake calling the protocols, I’m just making observations as to who’s really able to tell what being decided in the dark. That’s one of the main reasons why I follow V M …. to be enlightened.
A Slight Sidebar that dovetails with not just today’s postings but inclusive of the “outrage” and idiocy going on out there…a cautionary tale showing that we are being subject to much higher levels of thievery and cheatery and criminality as the operational standard. I swear it’s gotten to the point that most of We The People have no idea how much lying is flying around…even by the propane delivery guy.
Got an email Saturday from Suburban Propane. Thought, “Huh, usually pay the 500gal tank rental in January.” So checked this morning and discovered that not only a 35 gal delivery occurred (only have our range on gas so only order a tank fill every 4-5 years or so) but when the delivery guy [weirdly] showed up early last month (thought he was lost) to “do a tank safety check ” told him to have at it after saying it was odd as we never had that before.
Went back to the Shop and after 15 minutes he left in the tank truck.
The “unpaid” Bill showed a propane delivery (not ordered), the safety check fee (it’s their friggin’ tank), a pile of government taxes (of course), and a Late Fee for bill nonpayment (never got a bill and usually they put a sticky on the front door then email the invoice).
Suffice it to say this ain’t happening. Called corporate at o’dark, local office is closed (seems most companies now operate with old bankers hours), was told I’d get a callback. Taking odds it won’t happen…which will mean I’ll call AmeriGas in Laramie and have them switch out the tank including the 35 gallons they weren’t authorized to deliver. (MrsPaulM says to demand they come up and unload the 35 gallons. Touche’)
Wonder how many people don’t see this and simply pay it? (same ones with a garage full of Covid Panic TP)
By all appearances we are being played at every level. They are employing the Magician’s ruse of distraction on the inconsequential stuff while a bunch of grifters run their con. Israel burns with innocent people dead all over like some dystopian movie script, and our feckless Morons in Charge turn a deaf ear secretly applauding Hamas (as they funded them by the backdoor). Biden is pushing us into a World War and I’m complaining about propane…but it’s all the same modus operandi.
Getting seriously nasty out there.
Ahh, Suburban Propane! About a decade ago, they bought out the propane company we were using from Cleburn, Texas. We owned the tank, so we didn’t have problems like that. The cost though went up about $1 a gallon. One time, they didn’t come out just before a cold snap when they were supposed to. We ran out of propane in the middle of it. Got another company also.
Filed under: “Easier to ask forgiveness than permission”…and we’re not at war with Russia thru Ukraine and Biden’s Handlers didn’t fund Hamas.
I am finding in half the companies we deal with the new approach is to raise prices without notification then “handle” the minority paying attention who demand answers. Asked the gal if a notice was sent of this new “program”. “No”. If the driver was managed properly he would have explained what he was doing and what it would cost, he gave the impression this was their task at no charge, otherwise I could have said no, turn around.
It’s a sales con job and illegal to intentionally not inform customers of service contract changes. I despise dishonesty. AmeriGas may be getting a call.
I use Griffin’s Propane and have had a good experience with their outlet near where I live in Arizona.
Neighbor has Freedom, I’d be happy to give them our business, which will happen if in 24 hours Suburban decides the loy-yahs and bean-counters prefer the bottom line is more important than customer loyalty.
The larger problem is (has been, escalating for, oh, roughly 3 years) the level of complete lack of give-a-rip exhibited by many a company, a reflection of where we are as a nation.
Centurylink is another bum outfit…phones out again after a Thursday morning power blip. Their response Friday? “See you Monday, maybe.” WiFi calling is working just fine with Starlink, time to cut the landline and save the Eighty bucks.
Ah, that classic riff from Sunshine of Your Love. I think everybody whom I’ve known play guitar learnt to play that.
I hope you made TITH yesterday.
That and Ginger Baker flailing away.
At least, in aerial service, the Chauchat magazine was away from most of the mud and dirt, and probably worked better.
-Kle.
A Trump-Musk ticket? That would make heads explode! Oh, wait….don’t you have to be “Natural Born” to run for President and Vice President?
Amazingly, some UAW workers actually do care about their trade, jobs, the economy, and the State of the Union. And from what I’m told, a good many of them are extremely leery of this “Rush To Electrification”. We can update that line from The China Syndrome…..”What are you gonna plug your CAR into, baby?”
We have a slight possibility of snow Thursday night. Glad I’m not undertaking an invasion. The “Marcks Plan” sounds reasonable. I always wondered why Der Fuhrer didn’t just “grab the good stuff”, and leave the rest. Lust for power, I guess…
It’s not allowed to snow…no, not yet…puhleeeze!…I have way too many outside projects to finish before the Halloween cold snap descends.
You’d think 16 years as a pastor and I’d have some pull. Apparently not, just like any other schlub. (I repent! I repent!…..Nope, nothing. Where’s LSP when you need him? heh)
I don’t think we’ll get any accumulation, but our local friends say we always get some snow before Halloween.
Mr. LL, you were almost getting Churchillian towards the close of describing the close of phase one (?) Barbarossa. And a photo of Guderian to boot.
Achtung Panzer.
*excuse redundant “close”