Goings on at Casa De Garabaldi;

   I got some really bad news yesterday,  My Dad passed away and I am still in shock.  He had some health issues relating to his Agent Orange, but it was his heart that failed, not his lungs.  I had some post lined up, but it will be a a few days before I will post, my creativity is zapped.

   I am going out of town to Foolzcon to visit Old NFO and many other characters and will not return until Sunday Night. If there is internet access, I will post some pics while I am there.

The Krag-Jorgensen, The United States first Bolt Action Rifle.

 I knew a little about the Krag, What I knew was that it was a very nice bolt action rifle,  but the Mauser was superior to it in the Spanish American War, and if the Spanish were not so ineptly led, their superior equipment could have caused major problems for the United States.

The Spanish-American War of 1898 was America’s last war of the 19th century and began the ascent of the United States toward world power. It also marked the first major combat use of the U.S. Army’s new .30-40 Krag-Jorgensen service rifle. Adopted in 1892, and placed into production at the venerable Springfield Armory in 1894, the Norwegian-designed Krag-Jorgensen was intended to replace the ponderous and obsolete single-shot, blackpowder .45-70 Gov’t Trapdoor Springfield.

U.S. Model 1892 Krag-Jorgensen Rifle. The M1892 shown is documented to have been used by the 16th Infantry at the Battle of Santiago.

The Krag was chambered for the first small-caliber (.30), smokeless-powder cartridge in U.S. military service, the .30-40. The rifle featured an extremely smooth bolt-action and a rather unusual five-round magazine on the right side of the receiver. A knife bayonet, the Model 1892, was adopted for the new rifle and represented a notable departure from the triangular blade socket bayonets previously used. The Krag was manufactured in rifle versions for the infantry and carbine versions for the cavalry. There were eventually three rifle variants (the Model 1892, Model 1896 and Model 1898) and three carbine variants (the Model 1896, Model 1898 and Model 1899) of the U.S. Krag.

U.S. Model 1896 Krag-Jorgensen Rifle. uring the Spanish-American War, most Krag rifles available to regular infantry units were Model 1892s, although a small number of Model 1896 rifles were also on hand.

Even though the Krag was the standard U.S. service rifle in 1898 at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, there were only some 30,000 available. This was barely sufficient to equip the U.S. Army regular infantry units. In order to meet the manpower requirements of the war, the small regular army was augmented by many volunteer units.

There were differences in the actions between Model 1898 (top) and earlier Krags. The receivers on Model 1892 and 1896 (bottom) had a locking recess machined for the bolt handle at the right rear of the action, while the Model 1898 did not.

There were not enough Krags in inventory to equip these rapidly mobilized outfits, and most were armed with old .45-70 Trapdoors. The most famous volunteer outfit of the war was the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the “Rough Riders.” Due in large measure to the efforts of the unit’s second-in-command, Theodore Roosevelt, the Rough Riders were equipped with the latest Model 1896 Krag carbine, but the unit did not receive them until a few days before departing for Cuba.

Receiver markings (above) are found on the left side, and included the model, maker-—the U.S. Springfield Armory—and the gun’s serial number. The gun depicted is an M1899 carbine.

Most Krag rifles available to regular infantry units were Model 1892s. A relatively small number of Model 1896 Krag rifles were also on hand, but the majority of Spanish-American War combat photos taken in Cuba depict only unaltered Model 1892 rifles. None of the Model 1898 rifles, or carbines, were manufactured in time for duty in the war. The U.S. Marine Corps, which participated in combat operations in Cuba and the Philippines, was primarily armed with the Winchester Model 1895 6 mm Lee Navy straight-pull rifle.

Receiver markings on an M1896 carbine.

The United States was ill-prepared for the war, and our troops in Cuba were faced with shortages of all types of supplies and equipment, including basic rifle cleaning implements. Some soldiers are reported to have cut off part of their shirt tails for use as improvised cleaning patches.

The Krags, unlike the Trapdoors, utilized knife bayonets. The “Bowie” (above) was experimental, while the -standard-issue Model 1892 bayonet (below) is mounted on a Constabulary Carbine.

The climactic problems encountered in Cuba paled in comparison with those faced by our troops in the Philippines where they fought the Spanish occupiers of the islands after Admiral Dewey’s defeat of the enemy fleet in Manila Bay. Perhaps surprisingly, the supply issue was not as critical in the Philippines as it was in Cuba, but the harsher conditions made care and maintenance of the Krags equally difficult. It is reported that: “The bright blue and case-hardened (Krag) rifle steel gradually changed to brown mahogany color in spite of a plentiful supply of gun oil.”

Unlike most U.S. volunteer units in the Spanish-American War, the “Rough Riders” did not receive Trapdoors. Thanks to its second in command, Theodore Roosevelt, the unit was issued .30-40 U.S. Model 1896 Krag carbines.

The Krag was initially popular with most of its users due to its flawlessly smooth bolt action and overall reliability. The design, however, was found to be lacking when compared to the Model 1893 Mauser utilized by the Spanish. Unlike the Krag, the Mauser could be rapidly loaded by means of a five-round charger (stripper clip) and its double locking lug bolt enabled the use of a cartridge with greater power than the .30-40.

U.S. Model 1896 carbine.

Fortunately, due to the short duration of combat in Cuba, American troops did not have to pay an inordinately high price for the Krag’s deficiencies as compared to the relative superiority of the Mauser. The problems encountered with the Krag resulted in the search for a new service rifle that incorporated many of the desirable features of the Mauser. This search culminated in the adoption of the famed Model of 1903 Springfield just five years after the conclusion of the Spanish-American War.

U.S. Model 1898 carbine.

Although the fighting was over in Cuba in just a matter of a few weeks, the situation was totally different in the Philippines. Even though the Spanish Army in the Philippines surrendered on August 13, 1898—less than a month after hostilities had ceased in Cuba—the Americans essentially traded one enemy for another. Although many Filipinos were relieved to be rid of their oppressive Spanish occupiers, there was a strong nationalist movement in the Philippines that demanded total independence.

U.S. Model 1899 carbine.

But the United States was not prepared to grant independence at that time. On January 4, 1899, a proclamation was issued that the American government had obtained possession of the Philippines during the war and intended to extend its control to all the islands in the archipelago. This policy caused immediate outrage among some in the United States. An article in the November 1898 issue of Harper’s Weekly stated, in part: “[A] war that has discovered the unworthiness of its cause … and gross mismanagement of which has filled thousands of graves with victims … demonstrates nothing more clearly than our unpreparedness for it … and has launched us on a career of empire.”

This U.S. Model 1898 carbine has an unaltered cavalry ring and bar arrangement for attachment of a sling.

While the American occupation of the Philippines was unpopular with a segment of the domestic population, it was met with fury by many nationalist Filipinos. Among the most virulent opponents of the new American occupiers were the Moslem Moros (Spanish for Moslem) tribesmen, also known as Juarmentados, who had ferociously battled for decades the Spanish troops garrisoning the Philippines.

The stock cartouche and inspector’s mark of this unmodified Model 1892 rifle denotes 1894 as the rifle’s year or production.

As soon as the U.S. Army replaced the Spaniards, our troops met the full fury of the Moros, who wreaked much havoc with their razor-sharp bolos, barongs and krises. The insurgents also attempted to capture as many modern military rifles from their adversaries as possible. As related by Col. Philip Shockley in his interesting historical monograph, The Krag-Jorgensen Rifle in the Service: “The insurgent government offered rewards for captured Krags which the Filipino esteemed as much as he did a Mauser.”

The .45-70 Gov't. (left) cartridge shown next to the smokeless .30-40 Krag.

During the Philippine Insurrection, a number of Model 1898 Krag rifles saw action, but many of the earlier Model 1892 and Model 1896 variants remained in use as well. The standard M1892 Krag bayonet saw widespread use, but some experimental Krag Bolo and Bowie bayonets were fabricated and field-tested in the Philippines during this era. None of these experimental bayonets were standardized or issued in any appreciable numbers.

“The Krag is today—as it was in all its yesterdays—a grand weapon. No American military arm was ever employed in more diversified purposes in so short a span of years.” —Col. Philip M. Shockley

The U.S. Army troops garrisoning the Philippines were well aware of the animosity felt by the nationalist Filipino insurgents. Krags were always kept fully loaded during guard duty and many bayonets were honed to a razor-edge. Suspicious activity by unknown Filipinos lurking around army posts was often met by rifle fire. An oft-repeated saying among American troops during this period was “ … Krag ’em and bag ’em.”

There were numerous small-scale, but very bloody, engagements between American soldiers and the insurgents, especially the fierce Moros. Like present-day Islamic extremists, the Moros believed they would be granted carnal rewards in the afterlife if they shed the blood of infidels on Earth.

Some Moros reportedly bound their limbs with cords to inhibit blood loss if wounded and worked themselves into a religious frenzy before “going Juarmentado.” There were many instances where mortally wounded Moros hacked American soldiers to death before themselves dying. As correctly stated by Shockley: “A crazed Moro, imbued with the spirit of killing, just couldn’t be stopped by a leg or chest shot from a Krag.”

Our troops sought ways to increase the Krag’s stopping power including filing the tip of the bullet to create “dum-dum” ammunition (as it was termed at the time) or pulling out the bullet and reinserting it with the flat base forward. These modifications were, at best, only marginally helpful. A gruesomely illustrative example was related by Col. Shockley:

“During the American occupation a corporal and two privates were on guard … .Three Juarmentados (Moros), disguised as hucksters, approached the three guards. Suddenly throwing their bundles to the ground, each with raised kris, which had been sharpened and polished for the occasion, dashed toward the alert guards. Three Krag rifles with bayonets affixed, came up, and three shots shattered the stillness. The first Moro, hit in the face, dived into the coral sand. He had been shot between the eyes and the bullet tore out the back of his head. The second Moro, hit in the mid-section, doubled-up, and then sat down, but the third, shot through the chest, continues his rush. The corporal thrust with his bayonet, and the Moro Moslem frenzy forced his body to receive the whole of it, clear to the muzzle. The downward swing of the kris split the corporal’s skull to the teeth. The cartridges had been dum-dum.”

In order to arm our troops with more effective firearms for such fierce close-quarter combat, obsolescent M1873 .45 Colt Single Action Army revolvers were taken out of retirement and issued in order to have handguns with more power than the anemic, standard-issue Colt .38 Long Colt military revolvers. The U.S. Army also procured and issued a quantity (estimated at 200) Winchester Model 1897 short-barreled 12-ga. shotguns (riot guns) loaded with 00 buckshot. These proved to be formidable close-quarter combat arms.

The American government organized and equipped the Philippine Constabulary and gradually turned the problem of putting down the insurrectionists over to our Filipino allies. Interestingly, some Moros served with distinction in the Constabulary as well. The Constabulary, trained and led by American military officers, was initially armed with .45-70 Trapdoor carbines since the smaller statured Filipinos were not comfortable with full-length rifles.

After the turn of the century, a number of M1899 Krag carbines, along with a few M1898 carbines, were altered for Constabulary use by the fitting them with cut-down M1898 Krag rifle stocks equipped with sling swivels and bayonet lugs. The ends of the larger diameter carbine barrels were lathe-turned down in order to permit the use of the standard bayonet. These modified Krag carbines resembled miniature rifles and are typically known today as Philippine Constabulary Rifles. After circa 1914, the task of pacifying the Philippines was almost solely carried out by the Philippine Constabulary, and U.S. Army combat operations in the archipelago were largely a thing of the past.

Combat use of the American Krag around the turn of the century was not restricted to the Philippines. Unrest in China during this period led the rise of the Boxers who saw foreign devils as the reason for that nation’s ills. The Boxers embarked on a rampage of murder against foreigners in China, and a number of nations sent military contingents to the mainland in order to protect their respective citizens.

One of the most famous incidents was the siege at the International Legation at Peking in 1900 where a number of foreigners, including some Americans, were trapped behind the legation walls by Boxers intent on massacring everyone inside. Foremost among the defenders of the legation was a contingent of U.S. Marines armed with Lee Navy rifles. In order to raise the siege, several nations dispatched troops and the legation was eventually rescued.

American units that participated in the international relief column included the U.S. Army’s 9th and 14th Infantry Regiments and a contingent of U.S. Marines, all armed with Krag rifles. The Boxer Rebellion marked the end of the M1895 Lee Navy’s tenure as a first-line U.S. military arm as it was replaced in U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps service during this period by the Krag.

The Krag remained the standard U.S. military service rifle until the introduction of the “U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903,” which was designed to replace both the Krag rifle and carbine. Even after adoption of the ’03, Krags remained in service until the end of the first decade of the 20th century, by which time it was fully replaced in front-line service by the new Springfield.

A number of Krag rifles lingered on in the military’s arsenal and some saw supplemental service well into the First World War. For all intents and purposes, however, the Spanish-American War and the subsequent Philippine Insurrection, along with the short interlude of the Boxer Rebellion relief expedition, marked the Krag’s glory days.

The Krag’s tenure of service was very brief as compared to some other U.S. military rifles, such as the M1903 Springfield and M1 Garand. Nevertheless, the Krag was our nation’s standard service rifle at the time of the United States’ transformation into an international power and the period of American overseas expansionism. As aptly stated by Col. Shockley: “The Krag is today—as it was in all its yesterdays—a grand weapon. No American military arm was ever employed in more diversified purposes in so short a span of years.”

The feelings of many American soldiers during the Krag’s short-lived, but tumultuous, period of service were summed up in the concluding words of a popular Army song of the day: “Underneath the starry flag, Civilize ’em with a Krag, And return us to our own beloved homes!”

Monday Music "Dogs of War" by Pink Floyd.

   Man the meme is still rolling along.....

I am continuing my string of "bugaloo" songs.  This discussion was started in the "Monster Hunter Nation, Hunters Unite", back in November of 2019? it is a Facebook group with enthusiast of the ILOH "International Lord of Hate" A.K.A Larry Correia.  We were talking about what song would we use if we looked out of our window or glanced at our security camera and saw this.....

One of the alphabet bois lining up to take down your house...What would be your "Valhalla" song and you would set it up to play as you load up magazines set up the Tannerite Rover, turn on the water irrigation system and fill it with gasoline instead of water and prepare yourself.

 I figured it would scar the alphabet boys if they come busting in and hearing a song about people standing for their beliefs and willing to fight for them no matter the cost, Good Music  unlike that crap they listen to now.  What can I say, My humor is warped....just a bit. Next week will be "Run Like Hell" by Pink Floyd, This one was suggested by a reader " Jay Karamales"  Now that should really cause some psych evals., hehehe, some poor ATF guy trying to explain the attraction to his mother because he is imaging himself as The savior of the American way rather than working for an agency that have the initials of a convenience store.  I was thinking of this song would be good for one of the alphabet agencies knocking and we have the attitude of the people that hate the state in the movie "Hunger Games" because we ain't gonna answer that door.  They can kick it in and start "the Dance" 

A Momentary Lapse of Reason is the thirteenth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in the UK on 7 September 1987 by EMI and the following day in the US on Columbia. It was recorded primarily on guitarist David Gilmour's converted houseboat, Astoria.

A Momentary Lapse of Reason was the first Pink Floyd album recorded without founding member Roger Waters, who departed in 1985. The production was marred by legal fights over the rights to the Pink Floyd name, which were not resolved until several months after release. It also saw the return of keyboardist and founding member Richard Wright, who had resigned from the band under pressure from Waters during the recording of The Wall (1979).

Unlike most earlier Pink Floyd records, A Momentary Lapse of Reason is not a concept album. It includes writing contributions from outside songwriters, following Gilmour's decision to include material once intended for his third solo album. The album was promoted with a successful world tour and with three singles: the double A-side "Learning to Fly" / "Terminal Frost", "On the Turning Away", and "One Slip".

A Momentary Lapse of Reason received mixed reviews; some critics praised the production and instrumentation but criticised Gilmour's writing, and it was derided by Waters. It reached number three in the UK and US, and outsold Pink Floyd's previous album The Final Cut (1983).

Only version I could find was the one with Spanish subtitles, I guess there were copywrite issues otherwise.

The video for the track composed of the backdrop film directed by Storm Thorgerson which depicted German Shepherds with yellow eyes running through a war zone plus a live recording and concert footage filmed during the band's three night run at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia in November 1987 directed by Lawrence Jordan (who has directed concert films for Rush, Mariah Carey and Billy Joel). Videos for "On the Turning Away" and "One Slip" were also filmed from this concert where the video for "The Dogs of War" was filmed.

This is America's Oldest Flag

 I got this from "Ammo.com", since it was of a historical note and I thought it was a interesting piece of information, I shamelessly "Nicked" it, as my friend "Shelldude" likes to use.

Dating back to the early 18th century, the Bedford Flag is America’s oldest historically attested flag. Previously, historians thought the flag dated as far back as the 1660s, but this was later proven false, as the color “Prussian blue” did not exist until 1704. It looks very much like something carried into battle by medieval knights, so historians can be forgiven for looking so far back to find an origin for this flag.

While the square shape evokes cavalry of old, the red color of the Bedford Flag makes it undeniably a cavalry flag. Its armored arm and sword harken back to the heraldic symbolism of the Massachusetts cavalry, which in turn dates back to the 1660s. The flag’s Latin motto VINCE AUT MORIE (“Conquer or Die”) is strikingly similar to the motto of several Scottish and Irish clans, and the “Victory or Death” battle cry popular among the revolutionaries.

Although its role in the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War is not completely certain, there is evidence to believe the flag was flown at the Battle of Concord through the diaries of Minuteman Nathaniel Page who participated in the battle.

Bedford Flag History and the Minutemen

Cornet Nathaniel Page claimed the flag was given to his father in 1737. John Page was the Cornett of the Troop of Horse, a cavalry officer who held the responsibility of bearing the militia’s flag. Town of Bedford and Billerica records indicate that in addition to his father, Page’s uncle and grandfather were also listed as Cornetts for local Massachusetts Bay militias. Nathaniel, much like the other men in his family, was also responsible for the local battle flag.

So it makes sense that when Nathaniel Page left his home in Bedford on April 19, 1775, after being warned of British troops en route, that he would have brought the flag of his militia with him and that it would have flown during the fight that occurred that morning. What’s more, historians agree that Page was present for the Battle of Concord.

The Lexington and Corcord Flag at the Battle of Concord

The Battle of Concord took place almost immediately after the Battle of Lexington, hence why they are often collapsed into “Lexington-Concord.” After the British regulars won a brief skirmish at Lexington, they continued marching on toward Concord to capture materiel. The gathering American militias, who had been warned of the redcoats arrival, traveled from the west and congregated on the other side of the North Bridge about one mile from the village.

Upon seeing smoke rising from Concord, the American cavalry troops moved closer to the village, concerned the British were going to burn it. Not wanting to engage, the British forces retreated to the North Bridge.

The colonial fighters led by James Barrett, the Colonel of the Concord Militia, were told to load their weapons, but not to fire unless fired upon. They did, of course, fire upon the orders of John Buttrick who yelled, “Fire, for God’s sake, fellow soldiers, fire!” after British troops shot two Bedford Minutemen. Aiming over one another’s head and shooting over their neighbors’ shoulders, the American rebels fired against the King’s troops for the first time. The battle soon left the redcoats outnumbered and outmaneuvered. They fled, leaving behind their dead and wounded.

The Bedford Flag and Vince Aut Morire Today

Once the battle of Concord was over, the flag traveled home with Page, where it was returned to the mantle. Then the Bedford Flag is never mentioned – anywhere – until 1875, when Page’s grandson, Cryus, sent the flag to Concord for the centennial celebration of the battle. Shortly after, Cryus related Nathaniel’s story to the historian Abram English Brown, and before he died, Cryus donated the flag to the Bedford Library.

Other than the Page family tales, there is no documented evidence of the Bedford flag flying during the Battle of Concord – no diaries, memoirs, or testimonies from either the colonial or British forces. Yet its story rings true. For one, many of the flags, standards and banners carried in the early days of the Revolution were not “official” flags, but rather were what the men had lying around or were special flags designed for the purpose of the company – for example, the Culpeper Flag or the Commodore Perry Flag.

Over time, the Bedford Flag has come to symbolize the militias’ resistance at Concord, as well as the early Revolution, when a group of barely trained men fought back against the world’s most powerful army and started a war for independence and freedom. It stands for fighting for liberty, no matter the cost. It also reflects the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic roots of those men fighting the British, who considered themselves at first to be British subjects fighting the injustice of violated liberty.

The original Bedford Flag, which can be seen at the Bedford Free Public Library in Bedford, Massachusetts, still exists. Spectroscopic studies estimate the flag was made in the early 18th century, but after 1704 (due to the Prussian Blue pigment used in the paint). Its silk damask has lost its shine and the painted-on image is not as clear as it must have been at the dawning of the Revolution. The silver fringe is also missing and, legend has it, was foolheartedly taken by Nathaniel’s youngest sister, Ruhamah, to be used as a dress enhancement for a military ball. What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall that day. More and more people are flaunting the Bedford Flag in their own way though.

If you’re ever near Bedford, stop into the library and ask to see the flag. You won't find it on a flagpole anywhere. It’s kept in a climate-controlled room for preservation purposes and, although free to see, is kept locked for the flag’s safety. While it might not be as sharp and vibrant as it was on the day that it was carried into battle, rarely will you get a better opportunity to see something standing at the crossroads of American history, with one foot firmly in the British roots of the nation and another firmly in the territory of the new nation being born.

Some goings on at Casa De Garabaldi

 I have been busy and i will interspace my article with pictures, because I love pictures...:)

   I bought a new light to replace the light over the Garage that started suffering Epileptic seizures, basically when the light would come in, it would flicker haphazardly and my son complained that if he had epilepsy, it would cause a seizure.  I tend to agree, it was just a matter of finding a light that I liked. and I found one...so I set up the ladder..

     The Light looked a bit different so I had to get a smaller screw driver to attach the leads to the terminal blocks.....something unusual.

                              
                                      Yep, got the smaller Screwdriver

                          

    I can tell I installed the other Light Fixture, I  had used Zip ties to secure the wires together so the caps would stay secured and not loosen.

Started securing cables to the terminal blocks then I would zip tie them together to prevent them from loosening, I then tucked everything neatly together and closed it up and climbed down the ladder and closed the circuit breaker and flipped the switch...

   Yep it worked!  I then put all my tools away and put the ladder away.

   The Next day My son and I went to Birmingham Alabama for the scrimmage game between Atlanta United and Legion FC, the Birmingham Soccer team.  It was a good game, and the ticket prices were not bad, and there were a lot of Atlanta fans in attendance.

   I enjoyed the game and being outside and we discovered something on the way to Birmingham...

  You Betcha, Right outside Birmingham and we stopped afterwards for gas and I picked up several "Brisket" sandwiches and saw some ribs and seasonings I thought about trying out.

and for the Beef...

    And it wouldn't be a party unless there was a .

Bass Pro across the street, and unfortunately their ammo supply was picked over but still it was neat to look around.

   We then hit the road back to the ATL.

   I then spent several days working on the riding mower, I considered Tannonite a few times before I got the rider repaired,  between a bad cell on the battery and loose wires in the relay and starter.

I keep the older mower because it is built like a tractor, not a lawnmower. All metal, no plastic.

After World War II, Yugoslavia took the design of the 98k rifle series and produced its own domestic variant with minor modifications. Although very similar in external appearance, many of the parts of the Yugoslav and German rifles are not interchangeable, especially the bolt and related action parts. M48s are usually distinguished from the 98k by the top handguard, which extends behind the rear sight and ends just in front of the receiver ring, although this feature exists on other models as well. The M48 was designed with a stock similar to the 98k, but it has a shorter intermediate-length action and receiver, as does the similar M24 series Mauser. The M24 series Mausers were built from prewar Yugoslav Model 24 Mausers and then refurbished with newer Belgian parts, and usually have straight bolts, while the M48s have curved bolts. Most M48 stocks are made from thicker Elm or Beech wood and have a thick stainless steel butt plate at the rear of the stock. The M24/47 stocks are mostly made of thinner Walnut or Beech wood and do not have a milled stainless steel "cupped" butt plate. The M48 was also designed to remove the follower from stopping the bolt from closing when the magazine is empty. M48's are regarded as a military surplus firearm and can be collected in the United States, Canada and Australia at a generally cheap price due to the plentiful numbers recently imported from Europe, most of which had never been used in combat.

     The Rifle needs some TLC and as soon as I brought it home I called the purveyor of all firearms Old NFO himself and told him what I had and he told me to use "Linseed Oil" for the wood to bring the Luster back and he suggested that I harang our favorite "Merchant of Death" for ideas on bring back the metalwork without wiping out the patina on the metal.

And finally the "Wet Dream" of any Leftist out there, this will be the reality if they are successful in implementing the "Chinese Social Score"" here in the United States.  I had published this back in 2018.

   I can see this happening in the near future.