The Monday Mood

Blog Post
Larry-Lambert

Without victory, there is no survival.

 

Bullet Points:

** Filming movies with Duvall – interesting clip.

** Puerta Vallarta is under siege (NY Post)

** Olympic Ice Hockey victories for Team USA vs Team Canada.

** Peru’s government has ignited global debate after issuing a decree that places transgender identity under mental health classifications for administrative and medical purposes. To me, their message is both clear and appropriate.

** American Girl XL – dolls that are all grown up. From SNL.

** (AP) All truckers and bus drivers will have to take their commercial driver’s license tests in English as the Trump administration expands its aggressive campaign to improve safety in the industry and get unqualified drivers off the road. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the latest effort Friday to ensure that drivers meet the federal requirements to understand English well enough to read road signs and communicate with law enforcement officers. Florida already started administering its tests in English. Currently, many states allow drivers to take their license tests in other languages even though they are required to demonstrate English proficiency. California offered tests in 20 other languages. Duffy said that a number of states have hired other companies to administer commercial driver’s license tests, and those companies aren’t enforcing the standards drivers must meet to demonstrate their driving and English skills. A truck driver, whom Duffy says wasn’t authorized to be in the U.S., made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people. Other fatal crashes since then, including one in Indiana that killed four members of an Amish community earlier this month, have only heightened concerns.

** (NY Post) The percentage of American adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to 54%, according to an August 2025 Gallup poll.  Gallo Vineyards is shutting down some of its Napa Valley operations – more in the article. Gallo has a huge vintage operation. This is only one of Gallo’s lines that’s impacted, but it points toward a trend.

 

Exiles from Eden

(amazon.com) The novel, set in the early 1990’s, is told from different first-person perspectives. In a sense, it is a coming-of-age story in which the principal characters, Sean O’Bryan and Jessica Baker, are set against a backdrop of intrigue as they simply attempt to live their lives.

Sean, on a journey to be his own man, joins Satan’s Legion, a motorcycle gang in Southern California. Jessica, adrift as a stranger in a strange land, joins him in the gang as they try to work out who they are as individuals and as a couple.

As their need to join the criminal world becomes increasingly pressing, Sean and Jess don’t realize that what they say is being recorded and that what they plan to do is part of a larger net that is closing in on them. While justice is about to be served, the undercover police officer’s compassion sets the wheels in motion for their escape.

Jessica, wanted in England for a crime that she did not fully commit, and their involvement with Satan’s Legion culminates in a flight to the Boneyard, in the most unlikely place.

 

Code Pink – Aid Flotilla for Cuba

“A growing coalition of international organizations, including Progressive International, The People’s Forum, CODEPINK, and allied movements across the Americas and beyond, is coming together to launch the Nuestra América Flotilla to Cuba in March 2026, a humanitarian and solidarity mission to the island at a moment of deep crisis.

Under U.S. law, there are clear legal prohibitions on providing aid to the Cuban government. Violation of these prohibitions can land you in prison for up to ten years. Apparently, the International does not care, and so far, nobody in the federal government seems inclined to step in and enforce the law. A Communist flotilla is preparing to set sail from our shores to help keep Havana Red.

My sense is that there is no violation of the law until they do it. Once they launch, there is an overt act that completes the crime. Collecting money to save Cuba, then announcing that the law won’t allow them to do so, and keeping the contributions would be very Communist of them.

Code Pink – One of the many Marxist organizations inside the United States affiliated with Neville Roy Singham’s CCP-aligned network.

This latest venture is taking place under the umbrella of the Progressive International, an alliance of many of the most radical, revolutionary organizations in the United States. These include:

  • Arab Resource and Organizing Center. The center is a San Francisco activist group that fights what it calls “global militarism and racial capitalism.” It released a statement blaming the “Israeli regime” and its “unrelenting colonial aggression” for being “entirely responsible” not only for the October 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks, but also for all associated violence across “historic Palestine”. The Arab Resource and Organizing Center is financially supported by the Tides Center, which funds radical groups nationwide.
  • Code Pink. This CCP-aligned group refers to the United States as “a decadent, declining empire stumbling blindly into its agonizing death spiral” while praising both Cuba and China. It is run by the wife of CCP agent Neville Roy Singham.
  • Debt Collective. These guys advocate for the abolition of capitalism. They “aim[s] to dismantle racial capitalism with militance, disobedience, and radical imagination.”
  • Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The party of Mamdani and AOC. Its official platform calls for the abolition of police, prisons, immigration controls, fossil fuels, and capitalism. Replace the word “Socialists” in their name with “Communists,” and you’ll get the idea
  • KC Tenants. This Kansas City-based group wants government control over the housing market.
  • Palestinian Youth Movement. This group says it “will not rest until Palestine is free from the river to the sea.”
  • Post Growth Institute. This group wants to replace capitalism with what it calls a “post-growth economy” so that humanity can exist “within ecological limits
  • Sunrise Movement. In league with the National Education Association, Sunrise is currently otherwise completely occupied with radicalizing students in the nation’s schools and turning them into foot soldiers in the fight against ICE.

The declaration says “capitalism is the virus” that must be eradicated. It supports a “revolution” to “transform society and reclaim the state,” and warns “winning elections is not enough to fulfill our mission.” The Progressive International wants global “planetary mobilization” and says that decolonization “is not a metaphor.” The International will not be satisfied with anything less than “full reparations for past crimes and the immediate restoration of land, resources, and sovereignty to all the dispossessed peoples of the world.”

“We aspire to eradicate capitalism everywhere. We believe that exploitation, dispossession, and environmental destruction are written into the genetic code of capitalism. We do not support efforts to save this system, nor enable its expansion to all corners of the earth.”

“With the collapse of the socialist project in the Soviet Union and the ‘End of History’ — a period that saw the dramatic weakening of the Third World — the confidence that these lessons once generated has resolved into pessimism and dejection. Capitalist ideology has taken root, tainting our theories and strategies in the process — a dramatic setback in what Fidel Castro called the ‘battle of ideas’.”

 

A New UNREP Strategy

(US Naval Institute) Like every ship, a fast-attack submarine (SSN) has finite weapon capacity—no more than 26 (and as few as 20) Mk 48 heavyweight torpedoes, depending on the boat. But SSNs are among the most difficult to rearm. Recent developments in remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and weapon technology could change that, however, potentially allowing rearming not only at sea, but also while submerged.

An existing weapon is being fielded for a new purpose. The Compact Rapid Attack Weapon (CRAW) was designed as an anti-torpedo torpedo, and while useful for that purpose, it can also be employed offensively.  Its details are classified, but its range, speed, warhead, and size are inferior to those of the Mk 48, meaning one alone would be unlikely to sink a large vessel. These shortcomings, however, are outweighed by the increased capacity the Revolver system could offer. Designed for Virginia-class submarines, a Revolver can hold 12 CRAWs in a single torpedo tube. (Seawolf-class submarines already carry substantially more weapons, and the venerable Los Angeles class is not compatible with the Revolver system.)

With a hypothetical 20 Mk 48s and 48 CRAWs, a submarine’s weapon loadout would nearly triple. Even with this improved magazine depth, in a western Pacific scenario, submarines would still eventually need to rearm, requiring a 1,700-mile transit to Guam—assuming, of course, Guam is even available. By one estimate, this would allow an SSN to stay in the fight for only a quarter of its time in theater. Rearming at sea would increase the submarine’s lethality by decreasing its turnaround time.

Rearming on the surface—as German U-boats did from Type XIV “milk cows” in World War II—would be near suicidal. Instead, surface ships could use ROVs to back-load torpedoes through a submerged submarine’s torpedo tubes. Employed for decades in a wide range of military and civilian applications, ROVs are essentially remotely operated minisubmarines powered and controlled by tethered cables. Computerized controls enable them to maintain position and orientation automatically while operators move manipulator arms using high-definition cameras and underwater lights.

The Navy’s Cable-controlled Undersea Recovery Vehicle 21 (CURV-21) ROV has performed noteworthy feats, including rigging for the recovery of a lost MH-60 Seahawk helicopter resting at a depth of 19,075 feet.

The Virginia-class USS Delaware (SSN-791) has launched—and, more importantly for these purposes, recovered—unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) larger than the CRAW through her torpedo tubes, so there should be no obstacle, from an engineering dimensions standpoint, to an ROV loading CRAWs through those tubes. The CURV-21’s lift capacity is 240 pounds, limiting its reload utility just to CRAWs. But commercially available ROVs with greater lifting capacity are available and could be used to assess the feasibility of reloading larger torpedoes, such as the Mk 54 Recoverable Exercise Torpedoes (REXTorps). Routinely launched and recovered in exercises, REXTorps are the same diameter and close to the same weight as the UUV the Delaware launched and recovered. (more at the linked article)

 

EdB is now Cancer Free!!

 

 

Identify the Ship

1

The name on the hull counts as a hint.

 

2

 

3

 

 

End

 

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53 thoughts on “The Monday Mood”

  1. The Green Party (aka watermelons – green outside and red inside)in Australia wants to make rent very one sided against landlords.

    Their support base is of course inner city, young and unemployed/student.

  2. 1 – Japanese destroyer Akizuki
    2 – Japanese cruiser Kashii
    3 – Japanese heavy cruiser Suzuya

  3. EdB – three cheers!
    REVOLVER system – has someone been reading David Weber, or vice versa?
    CRAW – now all the need to do is add stuff in order to include the letters F, H, I, and S.
    EXILES and finding yourself – meme seen elsewhere suggests that the cheapest way to get in touch with your inner self is to buy cheap toilet paper.

  4. Congrats EdB – I rang one of those bells a year ago – Damn near tore it off the wall!

    Puerta Vallarta – What are the odds this cartel violence expands? Pretty dam good I think.

    Peru’s message is both clear and appropriate – Agreed – When that message gets here can you picture the exploding heads!

    1. The cartels set the price of drugs sold – that is their purpose – regulation. CJNG was very strong in Vallerta and all of Jalisco and with US support, it’s likely that their back will be broken in those places. The question is the extent to which this war on drugs will expand beyond CJNG.

  5. Identify the Ship:
    1. Akizuki
    2. Katori-class training cruiser Kashii
    3. Mogami-class cruiser Suzuya

  6. Eden Exiles; I really like the realism of where the couple come from and where the realistic story leads to.
    –
    Pink coalition; would love to see the dissident public servants and their flocks floating one way, with a requirement of renouncing citizenship. Only allow them to take a vehicle older than their age. A free solar panel for each taking an electric bicycle. Let them prove all their green and red bents without any foreign aid.
    –
    Glad to see Ed standing free with his better half. His voice sounded strong on his show Saturday!
    –
    CDL testing; MASA, make our roads safe again.

  7. “Nuestra América Flotilla”: With the typical culturally appropriated name to boot, surprised the ‘Angry Swede’ isn’t on board considering how well her boat shows have gone. Stepping back, I say we ENCOURAGE these goofballs, let them float the 90 miles, give them a huge party send off from The Southernmost Grill beachhead with all the fanfare, since every group involved loves Marxism and are heading to their perceived nirvana.
    One condition: Make it a 1-way float trip, no coming back.
    ***
    ‘Miracle’ On Ice | Part 2: Nothing better than a group of jubilant America-loving hockey players getting a locker room call from the President after winning gold, with some great ensuing banter. Funnier was him getting them set up with an invite to the SOTU then saying “You know, we’ll have to invite the woman’s gold winning hockey team, you okay with that?”. Heh.
    As for this ‘locker room talk’, waiting for the ‘over wound toy’ MSM to couch it as something negative…because none of them actually played sports but ‘reported’ from the sidelines convincing themselves that they were the most important people in the game.
    ***
    EdB: God is good all the time. Nicely done!

    1. Ps. Noticed the two good pens in the pocket [a good engineer always has a pen]…but geez Ed, no pocket protector?

  9. **This group says it “will not rest until Palestine is free from the river to the sea.”**
    The same goal for the Jews that the Nazis had.

  10. Congrats to Ed.
    *
    Submarine type 48 torpedos are an interesting topic. Non nukes are $6 million each weighing in at around 1.5 tons. I can’t imagine what a nuke tipped one costs.
    *
    Mexico cartel violence depending on how many factions break out and finding agreement on leadership could dampen tourism for a long time. Glad I’m not in country looking to get out and return home. I’d think a couple cruises ships might be the easiest to arrange to evacuate large numbers of tourists rather than securing the airport and flight paths.
    *
    “Exiles from Eden” is an easy to read book from a story perspective. But more interesting which brings the story alive is the description of the motorcycle culture, drug trade, and church involvement based on real life. The non fiction elements of the story are thinly disguised as fiction which while reading don’t immediately grab your attention. But once they do, the book takes on a whole additional level of interest. A great read, I strongly recommend the book.

    1. I was going to be part of the trial for CAR-T development but you had to fail chemo first because of the risks. I did not fail chemo and did not make the trial. The risk included loss of the ability to talk and loss other day to day things like waking and fine motor skills. There was also a risk that your immune system would attack and kill you.

      They remove white blood cells, modify a few of them with a molecule that attaches to the cancer, grow them, kill your immune system and put the modified cells in. It was a one on one custom treatment using your own modified cells. It was like a $1.3 million treatment that I would have gotten for free.

      I wonder at the time if there was a more generic approach than a one on one custom treatment. The sounds kind of similar.

      I met two people who failed out of extreme chemo and got in the trial. One said it was not as bad as the extreme chemo. The other died. It was not a low risk treatment. Cancer treatment can be very complex.

      Tom

  14. EdB – Woo !
    *
    Relief flotilla – let them go, it’s fine. Just don’t allow them to return.
    *
    Mexico. Seems like the Civil War is on, between all the various Warlord Governments.
    It’ll be fun to see how long it takes for the Propaganda Industry to admit it.
    Also, the shock and horror from the imbeciles who vacation there is hilarious.
    *
    CRAW – been hearing about this and similar for a while now. Very good developments,
    presuming they work.
    – Kle.

  16. I was a third party tester training heavy truck operators at Ma Bell to pass the CDL and DOT quizzes in 1991. We have ABCXYZDOT stations in every stateline weigh stations. These officers have the authority to red tag vehicles and drivers. This should be a no brainer to remove unqualified drivers.

    In your humble opinion as a former narc, don’t you believe that the USA has enough info to eliminate the cartel threat in Mexico?

    1. I was never a narc – per se. I did a large number of narcotics cases while working organized crime assignments in law enforcement. Then, as a case officer, I worked with Mexican authorities to relieve the narcos of their MANPADS (surface-to-air missiles) in Mexico and Latin America.
      .
      The difficulty with eliminating cartel activities was always the threat of civil rights violation prosecutions in the USA (echoes of the Congressional authorization for the War on Terror, then turning on the people who conducted it — very predictable American behavior). Now, with the War Department and a connection with narcotics and terrorism, the gloves are off. In direct answer to your question, the problem of demand in the US will always provide a market for illegal drugs. The cartels are embedded in the bone of Mexico. Best case, trafficking will go back under Mexican Army management the way it once was. That may sound depressing, but there was a semblance of control then.

      1. And then the Cartels will do something very stupid like capture and hold a bunch of Spring Break Gringos and Gringoettes. Then The Don will come down on Mexico like a metric ton of gold bricks and redo the Mexican-American War. Which would give us an opportunity to flatten a 30 mile wide strip south of the existing border and making it one giant No-Go zone.
        –
        As it is, it won’t be long till the Cartel violence going on now spills openly into the city streets of America in such a way nobody can fail to notice. Again, pissing The Don off and Special Forces gets to do what they’ve been itching for for over 50 years.
        –
        And that will be the way to do the War on Drugs.

  17. Thank you all for the well wishes.
    .
    I remember the Chief showing me the vertical revolver mounted on the Virginia for cruise missiles to leave other than torp tubes.
    They tested it in shallow water :)

  18. EdB-great news!
    ——————
    Unqualified truck drivers. I applaud Secretary Duffy’s efforts. The problem is widespread at a local level everywhere law enforcement is slack. Out in “the patch” older poorly maintained trucks are hauling sand for fracking. The Laramie County (Cheyenne) Sheriff does frequent sweeps. Usually over half the rigs they pull over get tagged and drivers arrested. Just a tiny sample to be sure but the question is, how widespread is the problem? How about all the local delivery trucks?

    1. The Sheriff is missing the most important steps: Confiscate the trucks for sale at auction and arresting everyone involved with hiring illegals at the company in question, up to and including the highest ranking local manager then locking the gates and shutting the company down. Right now the companies get all the profits for running substandard equipment and illegal drivers without paying any of the penalties/costs.

  21. Just received my copy of “The Shorts” and tore through “Vampire Moon”.

    Dude! I did not see that coming! Awesomeness, Larry. Now I can’t wait to read “Conduct Unbecoming”.

  23. Regarding the Flotilla, as LL said, it’s not illegal (as long as they’re not buying illegal items) for the various groups to purchase all the supplies and such. It’s not illegal to take them out of US Territorial Waters. It will be illegal the minute one of the dumbasses takes anything into Cuban Territorial Waters.
    –
    Of course the various flotilla members better have all their required USCG safety equipment and whatever else is required from the state of their various ports-of-origin. And they’d better have their boats loaded to just under the safety levels on the boats (as required by USCG and USDOT and states.)
    –
    The water cops will be on them like flies on roadkill on a hot day.
    –
    And just let one of these marxist jackwagons and wagonettes push hard against the USCG or the various states’ water cops and, oh, boy, the wonderful arrests that will be made will just be icing on the justice system cake.
    –
    I’m from Florida. Our Fish Cops, generally really nice people, have two settings. Really Nice People. And, then, of course, Total Asshole Fish Cop. You do not want RNP to turn into TAFC. TAFC makes Angry Highway Patrol Guy look like a nerd in levels of agitation, anger and pure bureaucratic officialness that TAFC can drop upon violators. And TAFC really hates mouthy leftists. REALLY REALLY HATE.
    –
    Even worse, get a Fish Cop that’s of Cuban Heritage. You know, one of those people that partied like mad fools for a week after Fidel took the dirt nap express to Hell.
    –
    Oh, please, please let the Flotilla members actually get scrappy with the USCG or State water cops. Please.
    –
    Then there’s International Waters. Hmmm. Wonder if, say, a couple fast fisherboats loaded with people who hate leftist bullshit decide to go all ‘Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of Diet Coke’ and have some fun upon the flotilla.
    –
    Would even be better if the Gretard showed up.

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