A Dixie Carpetbagger

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never ’gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

Sorry that this is late, I was side-tracked.  This is a long post, more after the fold…

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Pretty much every conservative and/or gun owner I know complains about newscasters trying to B.S. America.  Well, it seems that has been verified by an unlikely source:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Poor fly… he was just looking for a meal, and then he hit the silvered tongue…

Side note: from the size, I’m going to guess that was a horse fly. If it had been a yellow fly, the attack would have finished with a TIE fighter-esque roll while aiming directly for the mouth.

The bad thing is that the only effective way to kill the bloody things is to trap them… and I’m guessing no reporter wants to go on TV with a blue Dixie cup taped to their hat…

First seen at Breitbart.TV

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power through-out the universe displayed.
“How Great Thou Art”

Via Linoge, a wonderful little app.  Even in our local neighborhood, the distances and times involved are tremendous.  Most plans for a Mars mission are timed for around 2 1/2 to 3 years.  A mission to Venus would last about a year.  With our current technology, the outer Solar System is out of reach, much less the rest of our galaxy.  Now begin to imagine the rest of space.

Heck, we live in suburbia.  Boring G2 dwarf in a boring neighborhood, with a few oddball planets.  Compared to some stars out there, our Sun is a pipsqueak:

And then you get to the fact that our universe is huge:

Thy pow’r thought the universe displayed…

Writing is hard.  Not the “maffs is hard” hard, the “why the blazes am I doing this” hard.  Heck, some bloggers even stay up late at night watching humorous animated shows.  (Not me though.  I record them and watch the next day.)  Now, for the video goodness, to demonstrate how awesome Robot Chicken is.

Sir Mix-A-Lot + King Arthur = Laughter.

Keep your kids in line– “guess what Santa does to naughty little kids!”

I’ve used this one before, but it was taken off YouTube.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present you.. the most politically incorrect video ever!

The whole book which is here offered to the public has been written under the impression of a kind of religious dread produced in the author’s mind by the contemplation of so irresistible a revolution, which has advanced for centuries in spite of such amazing obstacles, and which is still proceeding in the midst of the ruins it has made. It is not necessary that God himself should speak in order to disclose to us the unquestionable signs of His will; we can discern them in the habitual course of nature, and in the invariable tendency of events: I know, without a special revelation, that the planets move in the orbits traced by the Creator’s finger. If the men of our time were led by attentive observation and by sincere reflection to acknowledge that the gradual and progressive development of social equality is at once the past and future of their history, this solitary truth would confer the sacred character of a Divine decree upon the change. To attempt to check democracy would be in that case to resist the will of God; and the nations would then be constrained to make the best of the social lot awarded to them by Providence.

– Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Introduction.

Post continues…

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I was going to write about Pvt. Rodger W. Young, and the new video of his ballad I had found:

I went to the Army’s Medal of Honor listing to get the text of his citation, and my eyes fell across the next name on the list… ZEAMER, JAY JR.

I had been meaning to do something on Capt Zeamer and 2d Lt Sarnoski ever since I saw an episode of Dogfights on the History Channel that covered his last mission in Old 666.  I can’t say much beyond what actually happened, so I’ll just put the texts of all three citations here.

ZEAMER, JAY JR. (Air Mission)

Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Over Buka area, Solomon Islands, 16 June 1943. Entered service at: Machias, Maine. Birth: Carlisle, Pa. G.O. No.: 1, 4 January 1944. Citation: On 16 June 1943, Maj. Zeamer (then Capt.) volunteered as pilot of a bomber on an important photographic mapping mission covering the formidably defended area in the vicinity of Buka, Solomon Islands. While photographing the Buka airdrome. his crew observed about 20 enemy fighters on the field, many of them taking off. Despite the certainty of a dangerous attack by this strong force, Maj. Zeamer proceeded with his mapping run, even after the enemy attack began. In the ensuing engagement, Maj. Zeamer sustained gunshot wounds in both arms and legs, 1 leg being broken. Despite his injuries, he maneuvered the damaged plane so skillfully that his gunners were able to fight off the enemy during a running fight which lasted 40 minutes. The crew destroyed at least 5 hostile planes, of which Maj. Zeamer himself shot down 1. Although weak from loss of blood, he refused medical aid until the enemy had broken combat. He then turned over the controls, but continued to exercise command despite lapses into unconsciousness, and directed the flight to a base 580 miles away. In this voluntary action, Maj. Zeamer, with superb skill, resolution, and courage, accomplished a mission of great value.

*SARNOSKI, JOSEPH R. (Air Mission)

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 43rd Bomber Group, Place and date: Over Buka Area, Solomon Islands, 16 June 1943. Entered service at: Simpson, Pa. Born. 30 January 1915, Simpson, Pa. G.O. No.: 85, 17 December 1943. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty. On 16 June 1943, 2d Lt. Sarnoski volunteered as bombardier of a crew on an important photographic mapping mission covering the heavily defended Buka area, Solomon Islands. When the mission was nearly completed, about 20 enemy fighters intercepted. At the nose guns, 2d Lt. Sarnoski fought off the first attackers, making it possible for the pilot to finish the plotted course. When a coordinated frontal attack by the enemy extensively damaged his bomber, and seriously injured 5 of the crew, 2d Lt. Sarnoski, though wounded, continued firing and shot down 2 enemy planes. A 20-millimeter shell which burst in the nose of the bomber knocked him into the catwalk under the cockpit. With indomitable fighting spirit, he crawled back to his post and kept on firing until he collapsed on his guns. 2d Lt. Sarnoski by resolute defense of his aircraft at the price of his life, made possible the completion of a vitally important mission.

*YOUNG, RODGER W.

Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division. Place and date: On New Georgia, Solomon Islands, 31 July 1943. Entered service at: Clyde, Ohio. Birth: Tiffin, Ohio. G.O. No.: 3, 6 January 1944. Citation: On 31 July 1943, the infantry company of which Pvt. Young was a member, was ordered to make a limited withdrawal from the battle line in order to adjust the battalion’s position for the night. At this time, Pvt. Young’s platoon was engaged with the enemy in a dense jungle where observation was very limited. The platoon suddenly was pinned down by intense fire from a Japanese machinegun concealed on higher ground only 75 yards away. The initial burst wounded Pvt. Young. As the platoon started to obey the order to withdraw, Pvt. Young called out that he could see the enemy emplacement, whereupon he started creeping toward it. Another burst from the machinegun wounded him the second time. Despite the wounds, he continued his heroic advance, attracting enemy fire and answering with rifle fire. When he was close enough to his objective, he began throwing handgrenades, and while doing so was hit again and killed. Pvt. Young’s bold action in closing with this Japanese pillbox and thus diverting its fire, permitted his platoon to disengage itself, without loss, and was responsible for several enemy casualties.

Two different branches, the same theatre, but right next to each other on the rolls.

Shines the name, shines the name, of Rodger Young…

A sentry gun.  As of right now, it only fires paintballs.  Of course, with a little work, it could fire PepperAmmo… (steeples fingers and begins evil laughter)

Now, the action video!

And in case you’re wondering what the sound clip is when the control laptop fires up, here it is.

“I see you!”  Heh.

(H/T ENDO)

Went to the Eglin 75th anniversary Open House Saturday.  Excellent show– the Thunderbirds, as always, are awesome– great displays, and some awesome people to chat with.  I even got to chat with some EA-6B crewmen from VAQ-139.  (Note: I really wanted a T-shirt they were selling.  Not the “I HEART COUGARS” one, but another design.)

Watched the F-22 (I’ve seen Pugachev’s Cobra, and it awesome…) and the Corsair demonstrate while I waited in line for the Virtual Army Experience.  The VAE is not bad, but it’s not great, either– the guns look like M-4s, but they’re pintle mounted and semi-auto only.  Had that been a real mission, my convoy would’ve been dead, oh… 10 seconds in.  Saw the Coast Guard do a simulated SAR mission, and even got to watch a C-17 go through its paces.

All my pics are still being processed, but here’s some videos –

Only three things marred this show.

1)  Sunburn.  I don’t know if it’s just me, or a new runway coating, but I’ve never been sunburned at an airshow before.  I’m red like the Kool-Aid man…

2) Too few static display aircraft.  The only aircraft you could get inside were a couple of C-130s (a C-130, a AC-130, and a  MC-130), the CV-22, a few helicopters, the DHC-4, and the Lear Jet.  No C-5, no C-17, no KC-135 or other transport.  Not even that many booths with information from the Air Force– they usually have tons of history and tactical displays.

3) Bus snafus.  The gates opened at 9 AM and closed at 3 AM when the Thunderbirds started engines.  At 5 PM everyone was told “show’s over.”  Now, it took 6 hours for the buses to ferry everyone in… how long will it take to ferry them out?  I was in parking lot Blue Alpha, the smallest and closest of the lots– but nobody else knew which lot they were in, which led to me taking two long bus rides with groups that thought they were Blue Alpha, but really weren’t.  However, the Air Force worked everything out in style.*

However, it was a good show.  Two tidbits I found interesting– the flag and decal vendors sold out of Gadsen flags, and Thunderbird 6 did his “slow roll” to the opening strains of Muse’s “Uprising.” That song’s a bit… odd for an Air Force demonstration team…  I enjoyed it.  I found a good seat (a vehicle barrier under a shelter) and watched the show while I ate a ice cream bar.

* Yes, they made it up to me.  After the second snafu, I was handed off to a Sergeant and told that the next available bus would take me to the vehicle.  Moments later, a Dodge Charger pulls up, and the Sergeant practically levitates in a 90 degree turn and snaps a salute.  Oh sh*t, I think– officer.  Then the Sergeant bends at the waist (he didn’t approach the vehicle at all) and addresses the driver.  Oh sh*t, field grade officer, I think.

I get in, close the door, and as my driver leans over to talk to the Sergeant, I flick my eyes down and see one of these on my driver’s collar.  (Yes, I snapped to.  I come from a long line of enlisted men.)  So I got chauffeured back to my car by a full-bird Colonel and got to chat with him about the Thunderbirds, the Block 70 F-16, and the show.

(I just looked him up, and I’m impressed.  He earned a B.S. in psychology before I was born, holds multiple Master’s, and his last job was as a tech.  Here I thought he was just in charge of the SFs… {chuckle})