August 11, 2007
Searchers equipped with a grappling hook and an underwater camera found a previously undiscovered wreck off of Cape Inscription. Their observations of various details of the wreck lead them to believe that it is the light cruiser in question.
The Sydney was lost with all hands after a 19 November 1941 battle against the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran. Six hundred and forty-five men were aboard.
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August 08, 2007
GRYFFINDOR:
[x] You've never done drugs.
[ ] You have a lot of friends.
[ ] You get along with everyone.
[ ] You love football.
[x] You love baseball.
[ ] You're into writing and art
[ ] One of your favourite music genre is rock.
[ ] You believe in "innocent until proven guilty" theory.
[ ] One of your favourite colors is red or gold.
[ ] Good grades at school.
[ ] One of the worst things you can do is lie.
[x] You plan on going to college.
TOTAL: 3
HUFFLEPUFF:
[ ]You're content with mostly everything in your life right now.
[ ] You laugh a lot.
[ ] You like to follow trends.
[ ] Politics suck.
[ ] You love to swim
[ ] Water polo is awesome.
[ ] Pink is one of your favourite colours.
[ ] Black is morbid & depressing.
[ ] You're an optimist.
[ ] You're very emotional.
[ ] You believe in going steady at a young age.
[ ] You haven't made fun of anyone this month.
[x] Loyalty is the MOST important thing in a relationship.
TOTAL: 1
RAVENCLAW:
[ ] You're depressed to a certain extent.
[x] You love to read.
[x] You appreciate theatre & arts.
[ ] Sports suck.
[ ] Hate is completely unneeded.
[x] Indie is one of your favourite genre of music.
[x] Every once in a while you have little anger outbursts.
[x] Lying is sometimes okay.
[x] Blue is one of your favourite colours.
[x] Knowledge is the key to power
[x] Sarcasm is the best kind of humour
[x] People should know what they're talking about before they talk.
TOTAL: 9
SLYTHERIN:
[x]There's at least one person you hate.
[ ] Basketball is a good sport.
[ ] Football is amazing.
[x] Black is a cool color.
[ ] You've lied about something serious
[x] You're a very deep person
[ ] You are not very loyal.
[ ] You like heavy metal.
[ ] You make school seem more important than it is.
[x] You're scared to grow up.
[x] Anger is one of your primary feelings.
[x] You have trust issues.
[ ] Guilty until proven innocent.
Total: 6
---
Very interesting. The automated tests usually stick me with some degree of Hufflepuff, but this one didn't. I'm kind of amazed that I did so poorly with the House of Potter, but very well. At least I'm not marching in Voldemort's ranks, which never really seemed like all that good of a bargain to begin with. "Serve me and die!" "Oh yes, where do I sign up for that?"
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No? Oops.
All credit for finding this, and inspiring me to place one of my own, goes to Not Exactly Rocket Science, another Mu.Nu. joint.
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Everyone stand up and applaud those great stewards of the environment, the Red Chinese. As usual, George W. Bush, the Republican Party, and conservatives everywhere are truly to blame.
Tip of the ol' Wisconsin hat to Jonah Goldberg.
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August 07, 2007
Reuters quoted the Georgian Minister of the Interior, Vano Merabishvili, as saying "Our radars show that these jets flew from Russia and then flew back in the same direction that they had come from". The Interior Ministry had previously reported a 700-kilogram bomb as being dropped.
Reuters also pointed out that the Russians provide "moral and financial support" for rebels in the Abkhazian and South Ossetian regions, while accusing the Georgians of "anti-Russian" policies.
It is not the first time that the Georgian government has accused Moscow of aerial intrusions; former president Eduard Shevardnadze claimed aerial incursions in 2002. Then, as now, Russian officials denied the Georgian claims.
---
I have no opinion as to the truth of the current allegations, but at the same time I wouldn't rule anything out where Putin is concerned. The Russians have a demonstrated history of playing rough with nations who don't toe its line---see their spat with Ukraine over natural gas---and there's relatively little risk to them for lobbing a round into Georgia. At worst, they admit a navigational error and go about their merry way while a somewhat impotent Georgia shakes its fist. At best, the Georgian electorate quavers in its boots and Russia gains some influence.
A now-missing comment at France 24 suggested that the Russians were interested in complicating Georgia's circumstances due to that regime's ties to the United States and the West. One wonders.
---
EDIT: The originally linked story has been deleted, to be replaced by Georgia accuses Russia of bombing raid. In that story, the Georgians say they recovered a Kh-58/AS-11 Kilter ARM, reportedly fired from a Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer.
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August 04, 2007
A quick jaunt over to the Wikipedia gave me Miklós Horthy, and after skimming it, took a look at the links. Therein, I found an annotated copy of Admiral Horthy's memoirs, prepared by a Professor Andrew L. Simon, emeritus of the University of Akron.
His Serene Highness the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary Admiral Horthy, c. 1921
It's over three hundred pages, so I won't finish it any time soon, but I'm very interested in reading about the old chap---he seems to have been on the front lines of containing Communism on Western Europe's borders, so it's got to be interesting. One wonders how it will measure up to say Doenitz or Raeder.
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August 03, 2007
According to William Warden and Kenneth Miller's Norfolk and Western Passenger Service 1946-1971, the Pelican would be combined with the Birmingham Special (previously trains 17 and 1
into a Bristol TN/VA-Washington, D.C. train which lasted until the coming of Amtrak in May of 1971.
Based upon the images in the book, these trains carried anything from J-class steam locomotives or passenger-equipped GP9s to Southern E-units or FP7s.
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July 28, 2007
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July 27, 2007
This fellow has done some really good work, including the scanning of various back issues of the PC Post, the company's newsletter from 1968 until 1976. There's also employee timetables for various operating areas, rulebooks, and a "Penn Central Diesel Spotter's Guide" that's accurate as of some time in 1974.
I'm very pleased to have found this site; it's less than a year old and seems to have a lot of promise. Much thanks to Gareth Bayer for leading me there. (Caution: Mr. Bayer's tastes may or may not necessarily align with your cultural standards; be advised and govern yourself accordingly.)
Paul Weiss, the site founder has the following to say about the Penn Central:
The Penn Central was a gritty, far flung railroad that in some people’s minds is very forgettable. It had neither the romance of the steam era nor the thrill of the streamliner era to allow it to take root in the hearts and minds of railfans. In fact, deferred maintenance resulted from a lack of profits, and “our” PC was one of noisy diesels belching thick black smoke, making a bunch of noise, and rarely did the paint disguise the former lineage of the unfortunate diesels that seemed so tired.
The above is probably an excellent little summation of the PC from a railfan perspective. I still run into railfans who recoil in horror or spew expletives when you mention the PC.
And to think of it, I was looking for a Soo Line autorack when I found all this.
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July 17, 2007
For further information, including an important disclaimer, see here for full details.
(Yes, I groused about the sale here and somewhat reconsidered here, so make of it what you will.)
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The Belanger Locomotive Works/ZosaTrains consortium have recently released their rendition of the 1955 Empire Builder of the Great Northern Railway. Included in the set are the following units and cars:
GN F7A 363C
GN F7B 281B
GN F7B 365B
GN F7A 270A
GN Storage Mail 272
GN RPO-Storage Mail 42
GN REA Baggage 274
GN Baggage/Dormitory 1201
GN 60-seat Coach 1210
GN 46-seat Dome Coach 1324
SP&S 46-seat Dome Coach 1332
CB&Q 46-seat Dome Coach 1334
GN Ranch (Cafe/Grill) 1245 Whitefish Lake
GN 4-7-3-1 Sleeper 1262 Snohomish River
GN 4-7-3-1 Sleeper 1274 Bois De Sioux River
GN 6-5-2 Sleeper 1380 Suiattle Pass
GN 36-seat Diner 1254 Lake Minnetonka
GN Great Dome Lounge 1392 Mountain View
GN 4-7-3-1 Sleeper 1264 Bad Axe River
GN 6-5-2 Sleeper 1375 Jefferson Pass
GN 6-4-1 Lounge/Observation 1193 Rocky Coulee
A friend of mine who's more into the GN than I am has this, and he's quite pleased with its quality. He's also a sucker for driving the train from a dome car while crossing the simulated mountain vistas of the GN Hi-Line route for MSTS
I saw this train for myself on his computer, and I agree that it is up to the usual high standards of this group. Further information is available from the BLW/ZT sales page.
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July 15, 2007
Yes, much of the hype is due to Beckham being married to a pop singer, but as a Yankees fan, I ask, would the DiMaggio legend be as large if he had married a nice young girl from Nebraska instead of Marilyn Monroe?
I hate the Yankees like any good Red Sox fan, but I think it's objectively demonstrable that Mr. DiMaggio didn't need Marilyn Monroe to complement his legend. The man's prowess on the baseball field transcends whoever he happened to have married---the legend of Joltin' Joe, at least in my mind, exists independent of the Kennedy concubine.
Call me old-fashioned.
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Meanwhile, the interesting part is what some Iowan named Mary Lou Harper chose to say about all of us Virginians:
This 37-year-old wretch---apparently a Kossack type, from her posting history---dumped a heaping helping of her Midwestern bile on us, uninvited.
I generally ignore people like that; if they're that stupid, then more power to them. Hopefully they'll contribute to natural selection.
We Virginians are many things (intelligent, essential to the national economy, the national defense, the national government, et cetera) but "gender confused"? Please. Governor Gilmore is and was many things, but "gender confused" wasn't one of them. Luckily, Miss Harper has a wee little "Report Abuse" link beside her remarks, and I was sorely tempted to report it as hate speech.
Then we get the usual offended poster---not me; I was too busy eating and wondering if I should buy a PS2 golf game---who defends the Commonwealth too little by half:
Well, some of us aren't bothered by the lack of "cultural diversity" as seen by this ex-son of the Commonwealth. Having spent some time in the environs around the capital, the cultural diversity is there; it's just not African tribal dances, Mayan pan flute artists, Caribbean steel drums, and whatever else a Bennetton ad man might come up with.
Furthermore, some of us weren't exactly happy when Allen '06 tanked courtesy of the Washington Post; I was counting on him to defeat all comers and enhance our reputation as Mother of Presidents. But anyway, this guy's words don't matter; he surrendered his birthright when he went to school in Atlanta.
Miss Harper writes, "I do hold strong opinions that ordinarily run against every strain of popular thinking." Sweetheart, what you hold is a pair of jokers.
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July 10, 2007
"The sign of God is that you will be led where you did not plan to go."
It occurred to me that my present circumstance must definitely be the working of the Almighty, because I certainly did not plan to be in the straits that I'm in. Now, whether I had a hand in arriving here is a separate inquiry, but this must indeed be something that is part of the divine plan. Hooray?
2. The Upper Room devotional for 08 July 2007 is not directly on point, but with the foregoing quote in my mind, the following occurred to me after reading it:
"God does not tell stories of 'Once upon a time they lived happily ever after'. That's not His narrative style. Instead, when problems arise, persevere! Fight on! Your struggle may be an integral part of a larger narrative."
Things happen. But like the devotional says, we don't have to be perfect for the Almighty to work in and through our lives. What threatens to overwhelm you today may be the experience that guides you to victory in the future.
I thought about my quote---hastily scribbled on a notepad---over the course of the day, and I was reminded of the trials of the great heroes and heroines of the Bible. David didn't exactly walk into the local palace, proclaim himself king of the Israelites, and live forever with his saints to reign. Nuh uh. Elijah suffered a fair amount of anguish and trouble during the reign of Ahab & Jezebel. But what happened? He came out on top. You could ask the local prophets of Baal, had any of them survived the day. In other words, just because there's a rough patch doesn't mean that life is fast aground somewhere along Cape Hatteras.
I don't for a minute think that I'm in the line of David, Elijah, or any other of the greats of the Judeo-Christian tradition. (My luck, I'd be the wiseacre who went ahead and threw the first stone at the condemned prostitute, and would be struck dead or something.) That being said, perhaps their stories are valuable markers for me, and for anyone else who has found themselves in the doldrums of life that occasionally engulf all peoples.
So, what does one do? You fight. Keep showing up every single day and sooner or later, the bad guys---define them any way you want to---may forget to take the field and then, you win. It's a test of will, really. It costs your opposition just as much to keep showing up day after day. Like Steve Prefontaine used to tell himself, "The other guy's hurting just as bad as you are, or worse."
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DD, July 02, 2007
This publication agrees that the President of the United States has the authority under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States of America to pardon Mr. Libby, insofar as the matter concerning him was not one of impeachment. This publication takes no position on the matter of the commutation of sentence.
This publication enjoys observing the gnashing of electrons demonstrated here, here, here, here, and here. That John W. Dean, III, is reportedly making the rounds in opposition to this action is, as was once stated, "Sauce for the goose, Mr. Saavik."
UPDATE: Per Byron York, Mr. Fitzgerald has issued a statement that reads in part, "We fully recognize that the Constitution provides that commutation decisions are a matter of presidential prerogative and we do not comment on the exercise of that prerogative." Mr. Fitzgerald also notes that he and his office will seek to preserve the convictions of Mr. Libby.
Well, at least I got one legal principle understood. I'm sure that legal scholars all over the world are releasing sighs of relief as to the preceding.
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June 30, 2007
It appears that the Islamists have managed to muff this one as well, courtesy of incompetence in their personnel and bravery on the part of English police. It goes without saying that thanks to Almighty God will be said in the evening prayer tonight. We may have thrown off the Empire over two hundred years ago, but that doesn't mean that I retain considerable sentiment and favor towards them.
After all, the British Isles may be a 'shadow front' in the war on Islamist violence. Better luck next time, you ignorant cretins! No virgins for you!
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The entire aesthetic of it makes me think that she's in the employ of M.C. Briggs, III. Haven't seen that much white since, well, the last episode of Airwolf where Archangel and Marella showed up to yell at Hawke & Santini. I wonder if she can fly a helicopter, run computer analyses, or testify in a meaningful manner before Congress.
The game Mrs. Urban's playing is Nintendo's Brain Age on the Nintendo DS system.
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June 22, 2007
Filename: gg1cab.zip
EDIT: Resize your browser window as appropriate. I'm used to having a huge resolution by way of a widescreen laptop, so this may look really out of place for the viewing public.
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June 21, 2007
General Olds served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam and was credited with 16 kills over the course of that period. He is also given credit for the success of Operation BOLO, wherein the USAF exercised some sleight-of-hand to make North Vietnamese interceptors attack a formation of F-4C/D Phantom IIs instead of their usual targets, F-105D Thunderchiefs. If I understand it correctly, the F-4s flew together in a formation usually reserved for the F-105s and acted like the Republic monsters.
The North Vietnamese, hoping to disrupt the inbound strike, swarmed up in their Soviet-supplied fighters. Much to their dismay, Robin Olds' 8th TFW was waiting on them. According to the Air Force, 7 MiG-21 Fishbed interceptors were destroyed. Tough luck, Charlie.
General Olds was famous for his handlebar mustache, described somewhere as being of the Otto von Bismarck variety.
Thank you for your service, General.
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If you're ever out in Virginia's peanut country (i.e. southeast of Petersburg and the like), I suggest that you go to Wakefield. It's not named for knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, but it's still a wonderful place. Why's that?
The Wakefield Peanut Company.
I had a bag of peanuts brought to me by a friend who had been out that way, and they were utterly delicious. Despite the fact that I knew I was adding on to my waistline by gobbling these things down, I couldn't resist the allure of a well-prepared salted in the shell peanut. Meh, couple more hours on the bike or working in the (currently boiling Virginia) sun.
Write, telephone, or surf to them at:
Wakefield Peanut Company
P.O. Box 538
Wakefield, Virginia 23888
(757) 899-5481
www.wakefieldpeanutco.com
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