Bullet Points:
** We live in an age when people use their $800 ObamaPhone to check their food stamp balance. (more here)
** It’s International Nurse’s Week. Everyone needs a week. I’m not sure how it’s supposed to be celebrated. It’s not like Festivus where the rules are clearly defined.
** Lewis Black discusses smartphones.
** The Battle of Alligator Creek – Guadalcanal
** A Fake Hate Crisis…All of which raises a question. If there’s no evidence that “hate incidents” are rising, abundant evidence that tolerance is rising, and overwhelming evidence that the media created a moral panic about racism, why are nations and nation-sized states like California urging mass spying and creating blacklists?
** The lunger bayonet – Once the line of bayonets got within charging distance intact the conclusion is a win for the charging side most of the time. People were (rightfully) terrified of a bayonet charge, especially from the British who had a reputation. They held ranks, took losses, and continued. VERY intimidating just that, then a charge. Most defenders would break and run, that was the rule, and the unfortunate remainder would be stuck with that horrible 2′ long spike and maybe bleed out or die in pain over the next several hours. Whether a Charleville or a Brown Bess, it’s substantially a spear.
** Asylum? A number of migrants, traveling to the United States-Mexico border in the hopes of being released into the nation’s interior, profiled by CNN said they are fleeing crime and looking to secure U.S. jobs. Neither is a valid claim for asylum.
As President Joe Biden’s regime ends Title 42, the public health authority that has been used as a border control to remove close to three million illegal aliens from the border since mid-2020, hundreds of thousands of migrants are waiting in Mexico to rush the border. More here.
** Cultural Marxists hold that the facts of biology are fluid, controlled by the demiurge class of oppressive patriarchs, and, moreover, that once the patriarchs are overthrown, and utopia arrives, the facts of biology will alter to suit the new and enlightened cosmic rulers, namely, themselves. As architects of the world, not just laws and customs, but physical reality, will bend to their will.
This is not a break in tradition from Marx, who fully expected not just human nature to change when the socialist commonwealth conquered all evils in the world, but also the laws of supply and demand, the scarcity of resources, the disutility of labor, and, in sum, the laws of cause and effect. In other words, Marx, like this Hermeticist precursors, was a magician, who expected the blood-sacrifice of sufficient millions of scapegoats to metamorphize reality itself, bending to obey human will.
** Beetlejuice 2 is now filming. Information on the cast here. There is no word why former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was not cast in a role made for her.
From the Days of Fighting Sail
The Figurehead
First, the motif had to be chosen. With Navy Vessels, it depended on the time. Up to the 18th century, it was the lion, then came large groups on the ships of the line and on smaller ships mythical figures, famous heroes, etc. until the middle of the 19th century.
Figurehead of L’Hermione
On the other hand, merchant vessels often chose portraits of members of the shipowner’s family or even the owner himself. Alternatively, the owner could choose a figure from history or an influential person in contemporary society. By choosing a heroic or advantageous person to decorate their ship, owners of merchant ships hoped that other merchants would associate their heroism with their shipping company. Which in turn brought them more money.
If a motif was chosen, a sketch was made, either from existing portraits, freely drawn, or from a model.
Restauration of the Figurehead of HMS Arethusa 1849
Until the 18th century, elm or oak was used for figureheads, but after that other woods were used, as it was found that the heavy, hardwoods affected the seaworthiness of the ships. Yellow pine was a popular material – the carver needed a light and durable wood, but it had to be one that was least susceptible to rot given the constant exposure to water.
Carving the bust of Lord Nelson for a private collector in Figurehead style
The decision was made to use a solid block of wood or, if it was a very large figure, several pieces of wood that were dowelled and glued together. The carver or shipbuilder made a sketch of the figurehead on the wood, but the exact design depended on the size of the ship and the inclination of the bow so the paper drawing did not always correspond to what actually came out. Chisels, mallets, gouges, and sandpaper were used, and the cost of the work depended on the amount of work – some figureheads could take weeks, others months.
The carver in the photos is Andy Peters, who makes or restores figureheads in his workshop. More about his fascinating work at the link, if you’re interested.
A History of Sailing How accurate? I can’t say, but there is something to consider.
Identify the Aircraft
Handley Page Victor Bomber
Yes, and it’s an odd-looking beast.
Possibly the most Buck Rogers / Flash Gordon looking thing to ever enter service.
A subset of British aviation nerds is obsessed with the crescent wing, and think it’s an overwhelmingly superior design. I tend to think it’s interesting and moderately elegant, but basically an answer to a question only asked once.
-Kle.
Agree about the elegance. Superior in that regard to the Vulcan.
Just read some more recent history about the last saddletramp – Annie Wilkins.
Doctor told her she had a dark spot on her lung , either cancer or TB. In either case she only had a couple years to live, and suggested she move into a charity house. Instead she bought a horse and started riding south..in Maine…in November. She wanted to see the Pacific Ocean, and she did.
She also lived about another 24 years. Quite a story.
The US navy, given the great successes of the LCS class, and carriers named after presidents, could use a transformation. I recommend a new name for the next class of ships, to set the tone for inevitable victory. USS Arkancide. You know whose image will be the figurehead. Currently undefeated. Medusa has nothing on “her”.
The lunger bayonet
Army Basic Training 1963 we had a solid week of bayonet training. Next to burning ammo with an M-1, my favorite. Doubt any of us would have the guts to march in formation against an enemy.
The times those tactics failed are numerous. Picket’s Charge and the Battle of New Orleans come to mind.
Standing guard alone a night with no ammo my bayonet was attached to my weapon as soon as the relief truck was out of sight. Small comfort, you might say, but when it is your only option any comfort is welcomed.
During the siege of Boston during the American Revolution, an underequipped army under Gen. George Washington supplied many of the American troops with spears.
Chamberlain’s bayonet charge at Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg likely saved the battle and possibly the war. Had the Union’s flank been turned, they would have been routed and there wasn’t another army between there and Washington DC.
Public drinking in Texas is a hodge-podge of laws with times, some city laws that don’t allow it, and the possibility you can get arrested for public intoxication in your front yard.
Years ago, while on a public beach, our ignorant group decided to open our beers at 11:00 am. Within a minute, a black pickup came racing up, and two officers with the TABC soon had us all in a group, while they wrote violations. It was Sunday, and the purchasing, or consumption of alcohol in public is illegal. At that time, the fine was $45. Since that was in the early 80’s, the fines today are probably over $100.
I was informed by the officer that I would have been fined, even if I was sitting on my front porch.
In some states, there are wet counties and dry counties (to further complicate things).
In R.I., there’s a dry town. It gets worse – it’s only dry regarding retail sale of package goods over the counter, you can still get a drink in a restaurant.
-Kle.
They make it WAY too complicated.
There are dry towns in Pennsylvania also.
Oddly enough, most of them have drive through distributors, which only means you have to buy by the box or case.
I know of wet counties in the south where you can drive up to the liquor store window and order a Jack & Coke rocks in a plastic to-go cup.
As a retired nurse of some repute, I ask that a post commemorating our historic and unselfish devotion to ease human suffering and need. To heal the wounded and sick, to provide relief of human suffering. If that doesn’t convince you, send generous donations to my selfish cause of relieving my sore back and knees humping ungrateful cretins when they refused to do for themselves…
The design and forging of a bayonet in it’s distinctive shape precluded the body to seal after a puncture of the bayonet and why the extended agony of bleeding out over hours. I would be happier at the mercy of a quick bullet to the head. Knives in that diamond shape was difficult in ER to staunch blood flow and suturing and closing. we saw a lot of those types of stabbings.
The trench knife (popular in WW1) was a lunger bayonet with a brass-knuckle handle.
I love bayonet fighting. Which is basically short glaive or short spear fighting (short being shorter than 6′.) It’s fun, good exercise and I love getting into the scrum and going toe-to-toe with an opponent.
As to charging, the way to fight is always to be charging forward. You can ‘charge’ while standing, alway have your balance point moving forward to the target. The moment you are at rest or moving backwards, you’re dead.
Pary and thrust (rinse/repeat)
My brother, while learning the bayonet in Marine Corps boot camp, was taught how a lone Marine can kill and entire squad of the enemy:
The Marine with his bayonet fixed dispatches the nearest enemy then turns and runs.
The enemy squad begin pursuit.
One of enemy will be faster than the others.
The Marine performs “The Whirl”. Pivots and impales the pursuing enemy.
Withdraw bayonet.
Whirl again and continue running.
As the next fastest enemy gets near…Whirl, dispatch, and repeat until the entire enemy squad has been killed.
Oh, and as one of my fellow troopers said, while we were being instructed that if your bayonet gets lodged in the enemy and you cannot withdraw it, just pull the trigger and the round will break up whatever is holding the bayonet in the enemy’s body. He said and I quote, “If I still have ammo, I am not going to be using a bayonet!”
Incidentally, stabbing through a heavy muscle can cause the muscle to contract and seize onto the stabbing implement making it difficult to withdraw.
Next: the proper grip on a straight razor when used as a weapon.
Note: anything is a weapon depending on how you hold it.
Muscles contracting or bones grabbing is the reason why it’s Thrust, Twist, Withdraw. The Twist jacks open the cavity. This is how blade bayonets work. Spike bayonets don’t normally get hung up per design.
Other extraction methods that are effective are: The Boot – where you literally kick or push the stabbee off the bayonet. And The Body Check – where you body check the stabee and use his/her/its body weight to pull itself off the bayonet.
As to shooting instead of bayoneting, in a bayonet scrum the chance of shooting one’s mates is heightened, so just shooting instead of stabbing is contraindicated. But once you’re stuck in and goodly stuck, well, the barrel is right there and the chance of missing is very slim (there’s always a chance, but it’s greatly reduced, almost to the point of Zero.)
This is all theoretical on my part as I’ve never directly taken bayonet classes. I have taken two-handed weapon training, and the differences between a short spear or polearm and a regular rifle and a bayonet are few and far between. Same tactics, same moves.
Yeah. Same/same.