Boy Scouts to allow Transgender scouts....

 I was going to post about my weekend, but that will be posted tomorrow

This came as a surprise, although it shouldn't have surprised me I suppose.  here is the media release from the BSA:

As one of America’s largest youth-serving organizations, the Boy Scouts of America continues to work to bring the benefits of our programs to as many children, families and communities as possible.

While we offer a number of programs that serve all youth, Cub Scouting and Boy Scouting are specifically designed to meet the needs of boys. For more than 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America, along with schools, youth sports and other youth organizations, have ultimately deferred to the information on an individual’s birth certificate to determine eligibility for our single-gender programs. However, that approach is no longer sufficient as communities and state laws are interpreting gender identity differently, and these laws vary widely from state to state.

Starting today, we will accept and register youth in the Cub and Boy Scout programs based on the gender identity indicated on the application.  Our organization’s local councils will help find units that can provide for the best interest of the child.

The Boy Scouts of America is committed to identifying program options that will help us truly serve the whole family, and this is an area that we will continue to thoughtfully evaluate to bring the benefits of Scouting to the greatest number of youth possible – all while remaining true to our core values, outlined in the Scout Oath and Law.

  Now a good friend of mine at work asked me to comment on this, so I did a post on facebook for him.  I have cut and pasted my response.

I will give some background first,(I will break this into several blocks rather than one long screed, especially having to read this on a smart phone, lol) I was a boy scout back in the mid 70's through early 80's I am a scout leader and my son is working on his last couple merit badges and his Eagle project. Boy scouts have changed a lot since I was in as a scout. When I was a scout the Troops were lead by Vietnam Veterans or earlier, corporal punishment was permitted I have seen scouts get their asses beat and this was with the full permission of the parents. I never got thumped, I got enough of that at home. Scouting has changed from that time, scouting has had to adapt in order to survive. Part of having to adjust is the dissolution of the nuclear family, there are a lot of single moms out there that want their sons to have a positive male role influence in their lives so their kids don't turn feral. We have a lot of them become scout leaders because they see a value in the program. there is a term called "Timeless values" as it relates to the Boy Scouts. I honestly believe that if a scout knows the Oath and Law, they will make ethical and moral choices and if they make more right decisions than wrong decisions, they will have an honorable life. (Part 1)

(Part 2) The Boy Scouts were created by https://en.wikipedia.org/.../Robert_Baden-Powell,_1st..., a British war hero and General who was an explorer as well as a British Officer, he has published a book in the late 1800's called "Aid to Scouting", it was written to help people survive in the wilderness. When he came back from one of his wars he had found that his book was being read by the youth in Britain and he started the Boy Scouts in Britain and the phenomenon became worldwide. B-P as he was called honestly believed that the boy scouts was a way for World Peace because if more people are involved, they become "Fellow Scouts" and this movement transcend national borders. To honor this, All scouts in the world wear a uniform, the uniform changes from country to country, but all have a neckerchief, that is the universal thread of scouting. Now I will mention the "Oath and Law," Boy Scout Oath or Promise. "On my honor, I will do my best. To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. Now the Law (Using the voice of judge Dredd) "A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. These were the Oath and Laws created back when the organization was formed. The oath and law haven't changed since that time. Like I stated in the prior missive, of a boy or a man who knows the oath and law, they will make more right decisions than wrong decisions. The beauty of this is that even of a person "strays" off the path" if they follow the oath and law, they will eventually put their feet back on the path and succeed. This is the timeless values that scouting created. (part 2)
 (Part 3) Like I stated in earlier post, Scouting has had to adjust from being totally male lead to now having female leaders and they are really good, because they really believe in the value of the program. Now the biggest difference between the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts (rather than the gender) is that the Boy Scouts are faith based, the Girl Scouts are more secular. Some people don't like that so there is another organization that was created in 1995 called the "American Heritage Girls" it is an organization that falls under the BSA umbrella as a joint partnership in 2009 but is separate, When the girls are teens, they can join a Co-ed program called "Venturing". that has both boys and girls, Many scouts once they have gotten their Eagle join the Venturing crews. It is something to keep the boys and girls active in the positive values of the BSA. They do a lot of out door activities like Hiking, canoeing, mountain climbing and many other things under adult supervision and they remain in until they are 21.(Part 3)
I should have added this caveat in the beginning, *Ahem* This is my personal opinion, not the BSA's opinion or anybody else.(Part 4), Several years ago the BSA changed their policies on "Gay Scouts) after fighting and winning the battles in court to exclude them from the organization.the part of the scout law stating "Morally straight" See the BSA is a private organization and they accept no "government money" so the usual charges of "discrimination" under title IX didn't apply. But they finally relented in 2014 I believe to allow "Gay" scouts. As far as "Gay" leaders this was left to the charter organization. Now a bit of background, the average Boy Scout Troop legally owns nothing, it is all owned by the "Charter Organization" that can also set rules on membership, this is by design. Now when the BSA changed the rules on "Gay" scouts, there were already gay scouts and leaders in the organization. This was prevalent in the big cities and the charter organizations were not all churches so the charter organization set the rules. Personally I didn't like the ruling and I will explain why, sexuality has no business in the Boy Scouts. The policy of "Don't ask, Don't tell" was adhered to for many years. This was purely agenda driven, the people pushing this if they had any kids were never going to be in the boy scouts, this was just to break a "glass ceiling" as it were. The new ruling is the same kind of thing, kids don't know who they are yet, it is up to them to find out, and not have external pressure put on them to conform one way or the other. As I recall according to the CDC about 3% of the population is "gay, or identify as such" but they drive the outrage machine and 30 years of political correctness has punished people for believing differently than the"accepted norm". This is such a small segment of the population that is "transgender" something like .05% or something like that. I also recall according to the CDC a lot of people that go through "gender reassignment surgery" after having stuff added or cut off still are miserable it didn't "Fix" them. I am not sure what the answer is as far as the "transgender" issues but this is part of the culture war going on in this society and the BSA is thrown into it. The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. We are viewed as a "Conservative organization" due to our faith based ideals and the timeless values that have stood the test of time. Again this is my opinion, not the BSA's opinion or anybody else. 

Monday Music "Disco Duck" by Rick Dees

I was on the way to work and this song came on my 70's channel on my Sirius XM in my truck and I had totally forgotten about this song.  I enjoyed the trip down memory lane.  I remember when this song came out and it was huuuuge.  When I was a kid I really liked this song and I kept imaging it was Donald Duck singing the song.

  What can I say, I was 10 years old back then and there was no internet to research things. 

"Disco Duck" is a satirical disco novelty song performed by Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots. At the time, Dees was a Memphis disc jockey. It became a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in October 1976 (and ranked #99 out of the 100 most popular songs of the year according to Billboard magazine). It also made the top 20 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart, peaking at number 15. "Disco Duck" was initially released in the south by Estelle Axton's Fretone label, but it was later released by RSO Records for national and international distribution.

Written by Dees, "Disco Duck" was inspired by a 1960s novelty dance song called "The Duck," recorded by Jackie Lee (Earl Lee Nelson in 1965. According to Dees, it took one day to write the song, but three months to convince anyone to perform it^.
Combining orchestral disco styles with a Donald Duck–esque voice as the main plot point, the story within "Disco Duck" centers around a man at a dance party who is overcome by the urge to get up and "get down" in a duck-like manner. When the music stops, he sits down, but when he decides to get up and dance again, he finds that everyone in the room is now doing his dance.

A misconception about "Disco Duck" is that the voice of the duck itself was provided by Clarence Nash, the original voice of Donald Duck in many Walt Disney cartoons, but on several occasions the Disney Company maintained that Nash never contributed to the song. The voice of the duck was performed by Ken Pruitt, an acquaintance of Dees, as stated on the label of the RSO release. For the live tour, the duck vocals were handled by Michael Chesney, another acquaintance of Dees.

This video is a tongue in cheek humor of the Disco era, it is campy but a fun song and video

"Disco Duck" became a nationwide hit in the United States by September 1976. On the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, it peaked at number one on October 16, 1976, for one week, held the number-two spot for the following four weeks and remained in the Top 10 for a total of 10 weeks.
For all its success, "Disco Duck" was shunned by radio stations where Dees was living in Memphis, including WMPS-AM, the station Dees worked for at the time. Station management forbade Dees from playing the song on his own show and rival stations in the city refused to play it for fear of promoting the competition. When Dees talked about (but did not play) the song on his show one morning, his boss fired him citing conflict of interest. After a brief mandatory hiatus, Dees was hired by station WHBQ-AM, WMPS's primary competition in Memphis.
By the time "Disco Duck" had become a hit, Dees and his "Idiots" started making the rounds of the popular TV music shows to promote the song. On American Bandstand (and similar shows), Dees lip-synched to the recording, alone on stage with puppeteer Rickey Provow animating a duck puppet that he had made. Ironically, this appearance was never seen in the Memphis area due to then-ABC affiliate WHBQ-TV pre-empting Bandstand for wrestlin at the time and for the aforementioned

Memphis radio avoidance reasons. But when Dees appeared on The Midnight Special and did a live tour up the East Coast, he gathered together a band, backing singers and a commercial artist, Michael Chesney, to perform the duck vocals, and they did everything live.

 Saturday Night Fever scene

"Disco Duck" even made an appearance in the film Saturday Night Fever, in a dance club scene in which a group of senior citizens were learning to dance disco-style. It was also featured in a deleted scene added back to the PG version. As it stands, Dees could have made an even more substantial amount of money from the song. According to Dees, his manager at the time made the unwise decision to deny use of the song on the film's soundtrack because of fears that it would compete with sales of Dees's own album.The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack has now currently sold 40 million copies worldwide, and is the second best-selling soundtrack of all time.

My last 4 days......

I will post a couple of pics to describe the past 4 days for me....

While still recovering...I did this....

I will post some pics on Tuesday....Can't hold up "Monday Music" and I have a great hit from the disco 70's in mind lol.

Quotes of General Patton.

I have several books of George S. Patton and one of them is full of musings and observations of General Patton.   I also like the movie, George C. Scott did an amazing job portraying him.

I use a quote that was attributed to George Patton was "A good plan now violently executed will work better than a perfect plan next week".   General Patton had a belief for almost anything from reincarnation to Physical training.

  I have interspersed movie clips along with the quotes, On the clip where he is talking about how proud of these men for the job they are doing, I see the snow and immediately shiver for I was in the same kind of snow while I was in maneuvers in the same kind of terrain

    With the confirmation of General James Mattis as Secretary of Defense, the “Mad Dog’s” no-holds-barred quotes have been making their way around, and he’s been compared to another eminently quotable officer: General George S. Patton. But with all due respect to Mattis, there’s no one truly like the original. Below you’ll find a collection of “Old Blood and Guts’” unapologetic musings on duty, action, and the brutal art of war.
______________________

“There is nothing more pathetic and futile than a general who lives long enough to explain a defeat.”
“You are not beaten until you admit it.”
“War is the only place where a man lives.”
“Do your duty as you see it, and damn the consequences.”
“Success in war depends on the golden rules of war: speed, simplicity, and boldness.”
“The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.”

“It’s the unconquerable soul of man and not the nature of the weapon he uses which insures victory.”
“Anything done vigorously is better than nothing done tardily.”
“Officers must assert themselves by example and by voice.”
“We can conquer only by attacking.”
“There is no approved solution to any tactical situation.”
“There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is, ‘To use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wounds, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time.’”

“Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base.”
“It is easy to die for nothing; one should die for something.”
“As long as you attack them, they cannot find the time to attack you.”
“One continues to learn about war by practicing war.”
“The world has no use for a defeated soldier and nothing too good for a victor.”

“Never stop being ambitious. You have but one life, live it to the fullest of glory and be willing to pay any price.”
“Always do more than is required of you.”
“Punishment is not for the benefit of the sinner; it is for the salvation of his comrades.”
“Everything is a final heat.”
“War is simple, direct, and ruthless. It takes a simple, direct, and ruthless man to wage it.”
“By perseverance, and study, and eternal desire, any man can become great.”

“The unleavened bread of knowledge will sustain life, but it is dull fare unless it is leavened with the yeast of personality.”
“Do not regard what you do only as preparation for doing the same thing more fully or better at some later time. Nothing is ever done twice. There is no next time.”
“There is but one international law: the best Army!”
“It is better to live in the limelight for a year than in the wings forever.”
“If a man thinks war long enough, it is bound to have a good effect on him.”

“Haste and speed are not synonymous.”
“The pacifist actually refuses to defend what defends him; his country. In the final analysis this is the most basic immoral position.”

 "Proud of these men"

“Many soldiers are led to faulty ideas of war by knowing too much about too little.”
“Cowardice is a disease and it must be checked before it becomes epidemic.”
“War is an art and as such it is not susceptible of explanation by fixed formula.”
“In peace, the scholar flourishes. In war, the soldier dies. So it comes about that we view our soldiers through the eyes of scholars and attribute to them scholarly virtues.”

“The greatest privilege of citizenship is to be able to freely bear arms under one’s country’s flag.”
“Throughout history wars have been lost because of armies not crossing rivers.”
“War is a killing business. You must spill the enemy’s blood or they will spill yours.”
“To be a successful soldier, you must know history.”
“The hardest thing a general has to do is to wait for the battle to start after all of the orders have been given.”

“Never make excuses whether or not it is your fault.”
“If brevity is the soul of wit, then repetition is the heart of instruction.”
“As long as man exists, there will be war. The only way to avoid trouble is to have the best Army, Navy, and Air Force.”
“The important thing in any organization is the creation of a soul, which is based on pride, in the unit.”
“Americans do not surrender.”

 "All Glory is Fleeting"

Imperial Maintenance Memo: Circle "X-ed" AT-AT

I cribbed this off Angry Staff Officer, Like I have said in the past, he takes contemporary Army or Military experiences and adds a Star War flair to make a point.  When I was reading this I remembered how often we would get our broke equipment in the Motor Pool "Red Circle Xed" which means that even though there was deficiencies of an unsafe nature, the Officer in the interest of the mission can say that the equipment is mission capable.  We didn't like it because rather than try to get the supply chain fixed for the parts we needed. the officers would do this instead so we would look good for inspections and their ratings wouldn't suffer but we still had broke dick equipment.  While we were getting ready for deployment to the Persian Gulf in 1990, for the first time I saw a lot of parts show up to get our gear to 100% in the first time I have seen in over 3 years.    I still had a chuckle reading this though.  the pics are compliments of "google"

MEMORANDUM FOR SEE DISTRIBUTION
SUBJECT: Maintenance Operations on Heavy and Light Armored Vehicles

1.  It has come to the commander’s attention that in the most recent maintenance 026 Report, the company’s complement of AT-AT and AT-ST Imperial Walkers were all listed as Fully Mission Capable (FMC). However, during my walk through inspection of the motorpool I noticed that there were multiple armored vehicles that would not pass inspection by even the blindest of Banthas. Specifically, Walker Numbers H101, H105, A202, B301, and D506. The 026 Report lists each of these as FMC. I would ask each of the platoon commanders how they can be combat effective when there are blast shields missing or loose, vision ports are cracked, main guns missing traverses, hydraulic lines severed, and walker feet with one (or more!!!) toes missing lug nuts.
2.  I will use this opportunity to say again that the commander has reserved the right to circle x any deficiencies found due to the number of Walkers that were found to be  Non Mission Capable (NMC) once we landed on Hoth and were attached to Blizzard Force. This caused the company to go into battle against enemy ground and air forces at 68% strength because platoon commanders neglected to:

1. Perform before, during, and after preventative maintenance checks and services (PMCS)
2. Request spare parts more than two weeks in advance to allow for travel time from the Fleet
3. Include company maintenance personnel during PMCS; instead were heard calling them POGs, the irony of which has not escaped the commander and I since we actually came up through Stormtrooper Corps unlike you Raithal Academy Gungan-brains
4. Be ACTUALLY PRESENT when PMCS was conducted and were instead seen trying to hitch rides on TIE fighters with Imperial Navy Pilots

3.  Once again I will reiterate, you do not have the authority to circle x any faults found on your Walkers.
4.  Because of the poor state of maintenance in this company, which caused us to fail the last Imperial Commanders Supply Discipline Program inspection, the commander is cancelling all leave and has ordered me to rectify the situation.

5.  Motor Stables will now be held every morning at 0700 in the Walker Bays directly following physical training on the flight deck. Platoon Commanders and Enlisted Troopers E-6 and above are required to be present during these times and overseeing all PMCS. Maintenance personnel from Headquarters Section and from the Forward Support Troop will be on hand to answer any and all questions regarding the upkeep of your equipment. BII kits will be laid out every morning and a full inventory conducted. Drip pans and Walker blocks WILL be in place once PMCS is complete or all Troopers will be placed on lockdown to inventory blaster optics.
6.  Additionally, IMP-LOG has issued add-on armor for the bottom of the AT-ATs in light of the recent loss of one of our platforms to lightsaber penetration from the bottom of the hull. While the G-2 rates these types of attacks as rare in occurrence, General Veers does not want to take any chances in the future.
7.  As the battalion’s primary heavy armor company, we bear the responsibility for the lives of thousands of our fellow troopers. While our tactical training and gunnery marks are high (T on the Unit Status Report), we receive very low equipment ratings. This is unsatisfactory. The Emperor expects the best from his troopers, and we need to give him that. Lord Vader has paid personal visits to Navy flights that are not meeting their equipment readiness standards, with predictable results in upwards mobility for junior flight officers. I’m sure we don’t want to see anything like that in this unit.
8.  The point of contact for this memorandum is the undersigned.
FIVRET L. SOWEN
1LT, AR
Executive Officer
“Excellence leads to not being force choked”

Attachment 1: Missing blast shields contributed to structural weakness, leading to the loss of this Walker (per Imperial Financial Liability Investigation for Property Loss, 0023) (Lucasfilm, Ltd)

All Terrain Armored

Transport blueprints

The All Terrain Armored Transport was an imposing, quadrupedal combat walker that stood 22.5 meters tall. Due to their impressive appearance, it was used as much for psychological effect as for tactical reasons. Additionally, it also served as transports for combat personnel. The vehicle's cockpit and sensor array were located in the "head" part of the walker, which also carried the main armaments: dual medium blasters located on the "temples," and a pair of heavier laser cannons fitted on the "chin." Inside the cockpit stood an AT-AT commander behind two AT-AT pilots who controlled the walker's movement. AT-AT pilots and personnel wore specialized suits in case the walker's pressurized cockpit was smashed open in hostile environments. The armor plating of the AT-AT was impervious to blaster bolts, however the neck and joints proved weak spots and could be damaged by blaster cannons and other heavy weaponry. The entire walker was vulnerable to other AT-AT fire, if one happened to be hijacked and turned against the other.

Connecting the "head" to the "body" was what was dubbed the "tunnel," which would lead to a troop compartment capable of ferrying numerous soldiers, along with a vehicle bay at the walker's rear that held five 74-Z speeder bikes. The main, rectangular troop hatch was located in the middle of the walker's side, two smaller escape hatches were located both to the main hatch's immediate left and right, and the auxiliary hatch was located in the walker's underside. The walker's tail end consisted of filtered atmosphere intakes on its upper part, while a blaster cannon energizer was located within. At the bottom of the behemoth was the walker's fuel slug tank, which had a reputation of being dangerous. The walker's four legs were aided with the assistance of ankle drive motors, while inside the giant footpads were several terrain scanners.

There was a more heavily-armored variant with a darker color scheme called an Elite AT-AT There was also a slicker variant with more slanted sides and a smaller "head" called the AT-ACT. At least four of these walkers were present during the Battle of Scarif

Monday Music "Kids in America" by Kim Wilde

I used to hear this song come on here and there in the 80's but didn't really know a lot about Kim Wilde except that she looked cute, hey what can I say...I was 15-16 years old during that time...Anyway I didn't hear it a lot until I got a video game called "Grand Theft Auto...Vice City", it was a knock off of "Miami Vice", and it was an enjoyable game for me to play...and I still play it although the graphics are poor compared to the games of today but back then in 2002-2003 the graphics were cutting edge.  I would drive around in the video game and listen to 80's music and the corny commercials that Rockstar made for the game.  Good memories.


"Kids in America" is a song recorded by British singer Kim Wilde. It was released in the United Kingdom as her debut single in January 1981, and in the United States in spring 1982. It has been covered by many artists from different genres.

The song was recorded in 1980 after RAK Records boss Mickie Most heard Wilde singing on a backing track for her brother Ricky Wilde. He liked her voice and image and expressed an interest to work with her. Ricky Wilde, together with his father Marty Wilde, a pre-Beatles British rock and roll star, wrote the song "Kids in America" for Wilde to record. Once the demo was sent, Most remixed the track himself and released it on RAK as Wilde's first single in January 1981. The synthesizer featured at the start of the recording is the WASP synthesizer, which was owned by Ricky Wilde at the time and inspired the writing of the song.

Early video on a Dutch Pop station kinda like America's "Solid Gold" before MTV really took off

The song peaked at number 2 in the United Kingdom. The following year it reached the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 hit in the United States and ranked as the 91st most successful song of 1982 on the Hot 100 year-end chart. In the summer of 1981, the track appeared on Wilde's self-titled debut album.
"Kids in America" was the song that signalled the start of Wilde's career. Her father and brother continued to write songs for her (with the latter also given production credits), although in later years Wilde herself and her brother would usually be credited with the songwriting.

"Official" Video that was released later in 1982"

The day after the Inauguration...

    I spend time yesterday at the scout base getting ready for Klondike, I will have to go back to finish setting up the ranges.   I than came home and watched the Inauguration of President Trump.  I also watched the processional march from the Capital to the White House and saw a few protestors but most of the people were supportive.  I did see that the protestors smash a Bank of America and a StarBucks.   The leftist gotta keep it classy, more protest and violent actions send more people to support Trump.  I kinda wish the left would get over their temper tantrum.  When we conservatives were not happy about Obama, we didn;t break stuff and try to hurt people....But when a Republcan gets elected, the protest start...It is a standard staple of the democrat playbook,

 So the next few years will be interesting especially when the democrats keep playing "butthurt" because they got beat when they nominate a candidate that was so crooked and venal and ran a "pay to play" out of her State Dept gig.  A person that had a sycophant media that even ran articles by her campaign for approval and they are having a temper tantrum....

George Marshall on True Leadership

I ran across this article on true leadership surfing the web and I decided to post about it and add some information.  I knew who George C. Marshall was and I got some more information from Wiki.

Born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, Marshall was a 1901 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute. After serving briefly as commandant of students at the Danville Military Academy in Danville, Virginia, Marshall received his commission as a second lieutenant of Infantry in February, 1902. In the years after the Spanish-American War, he served in the United States and overseas in positions of increasing rank and responsibility, including platoon leader and company commander in the Philippines during the Philippine–American War. He was the Honor Graduate of his Infantry-Cavalry School Course in 1907, and graduated first in his 1908 Army Staff College class.
In 1916 Marshall was assigned as aide-de-camp to J. Franklin Bell, the commander of the Western Department. After the United States entered World War I, Marshall served with Bell while Bell commanded the Department of the East. He was assigned to the staff of the 1st Division, and assisted with the organization's mobilization and training in the United States, as well as planning of its combat operations in France. Subsequently assigned to the staff of the American Expeditionary Forces headquarters, he was a key planner of American operations including the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

“I am certain in the belief that the average man who scrupulously follows this course of action is bound to win great success.”
George Marshall must be one of, if not the most underappreciated leaders in American history, and certainly of the 20th century.Most people today have no idea who he was and what effect he had on Post WWII America.  Here is some information,

Not only was he the military genius in charge of the US Army during World War II and the most directly responsible for its success, he was considered the primary leader of the Allied War effort by every major Allied leader. Roosevelt found him indispensable as his Army Commander, Winston Churchill called him the “true architect of victory” in the War, and even Stalin claimed he’d personally trust his life to Marshall.
It was Marshall who, from a standing start of a few hundred thousand soldiers, raised an army of millions and oversaw the major operations that would lead to the liberation of Europe.
Churchill put Marshall’s best qualities — his leadership in the worst of times — on display when he wrote:

“There are few men whose qualities of mind and character have impressed me so deeply as those of General Marshall … He is a great American, but he is far more than that … He has always fought victoriously against defeatism, discouragement and disillusion. Succeeding generations must not be allowed to forget his achievements and his example.”

Marshall is now mostly known for his genius Marshall Plan as Secretary of State, which sought to re-build Europe (including Germany) in the aftermath of the war thus being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953.

Before World War II, Marshall had a long and distinguished military career, including as the primary aide to General John J. Pershing, the Commander of the American Expeditionary Force in World War I. And during this time, Marshall wrote a letter that perfectly exemplifies the qualities of a great leader. It would go on to be included in his posthumously published World War I memoir, Memoirs of My Services in the World War, 1917-1918.

Here, Marshall lays out the four qualities required to be a successful leader in a war situation.
What strikes the most about them is that they are neither complicated nor available to a select few nor specific to war at all. They are simply hard. And if Marshall’s life is a testament to anything, it’s that the ability to do hard things at the right time is the essence of a great leader.

November 5, 1920
General John S. Mallory
15 University Place
Lexington, Virginia
My Dear General Mallory,
Last summer during one of our delightful rides I commented on the advice I would give a young officer going to war, based on my observation of what had constituted the success of the outstanding figures in the American Expeditionary Forces, and you asked me to write out what I had said. A discussion with Fox Conner this morning reminded me of my promise to do this, so here it is.
To be a highly successful leader in war four things are essential, assuming that you possess good common sense, have studied your profession and are physically strong.
When conditions are difficult, the command is depressed and everyone seems critical and pessimistic, you must be especially cheerful and optimistic.
When evening comes and all are exhausted, hungry and possibly dispirited, particularly in unfavorable weather at the end of a march or in battle, you must put aside any thought of personal fatigue and display marked energy in looking after the comfort of your organization, inspecting your lines and preparing for tomorrow.
Make a point of extreme loyalty, in thought and deed, to your chiefs personally; and in your efforts to carry out their plans or policies, the less you approve the more energy you must direct to their accomplishment.
The more alarming and disquieting the reports received or the conditions viewed in battle, the more determined must be your attitude. Never ask for the relief of your unit and never hesitate to attack.
I am certain in the belief that the average man who scrupulously follows this course of action is bound to win great success. Few seemed equal to it in this war, but I believe this was due to their failure to realize the importance of so governing their course.
Faithfully yours,
George C. Marshall
Major, General Staff
Aide-de-Camp

Why is Trump feared by the Left.

I cribbed this from the Federalistpapers.org site.  I read this and it is true, the left has up to this point won the culture wars.  You look in TV and you see every show has the obligatory gay couple, the black couple, the Hispanic couple and anything else that caters to their belief system.  If there is regular people shown, they show them as ignorant, bigoted or flat out racist.  All the show one time or another make a swipe at white racism.  I saw it from movies, to TV show.  If there is a need to make a "bad guy" , it will be the "Racist KKK white guy", and it always shows the protagonist defeating the "racist, bigoted KKK white guy," it is the staple.  There is nothing shown about racism from other groups or the poor behavior of muslims.  If there is a greedy person, it will always be a white guy basking in "white privilege." This is why the Left lost, when you rub peoples face in the pile time after time, they tend to get irritated.


What do Meryl Streep, John Oliver, and Whoopi Goldberg have in common?
They’re all absolutely terrified of Donald Trump.
But, if you understand the Constitution–our balance and separation of powers–you know that one man, over four years has limited influence and power.
So why is Hollywood so incredibly terrified?

The left is used to losing political battles. They scream and cry over these but they don’t truly panic, because they know that as long as they maintain their hammerlock on the culture, Republicans can’t really change anything.
Blue Team Progressivism is a church, offering you moral superiority and a path to spiritual enlightenment. As a church it’s got a lot going for it. It runs religious programming on television, all day every day. Every modern primetime program is like a left-wing Andy Griffith show, reinforcing lessons of inclusion, tolerance, feminism, and anti-racism.
Watching a 90-pound Sci-Fi heroine beat up a room full of giant evil men is as satisfying to the left as John Wayne westerns were for the right.
The Blue Church controls the HR department, so even if you don’t go to church, you have to act like a loyal churchgoer in every way that matters while you’re on the clock. And off the clock, on any kind of public social media platform.

The John Olivers and Jon Stewarts of late night are “basically TV preachers” and Hollywood award shows “are like church talent shows”.
Even if the Republicans win, the Left maintains culture. But this Reddit posts suggests, with Trump’s victory, a new culture has emerged.
Not the traditional you-need-us-conservatives-for-national-security-victory (or jobs or national defense).
No, this win was different. It’s a new religion that might replace the Blue Team progressive church.

For the first time in decades, voters explicitly rejected the Blue Church, defying hours of daily cultural programming, years of indoctrination from the schools, and dozens of explicit warnings from HR.
We’ve been trained since childhood to obey the pretty people on TV, but for the first time in decades, that didn’t work.
Donald Trump won because flyover America wants their culture back, and Blue Team has not been rejected like that before.
The younger ones have grown up in an environment where Blue Faith assumptions cannot even be questioned, except anonymously by the bad kids on Twitter.

In other words, America is over it. We’re over Hollywood telling them what to believe.
We’re over feeling bad or wrong for what we think, and sterilizing and purifying every statement to make everyone feel more comfortable.
A new tide has come and it isn’t because Blue Church Progressive America needs some old, traditional Republican products.
Nope. It’s because a new sheriff, a new religion is in town that does not cater to the Meryl Streeps of the world.
Move over, Hollywood.

26 years ago today...Desert Storm

I had another post in mind for today and I realized that today was the day that the "Shield" became the "Storm".  This was the day we unleashed hell on the Iraqi's in Kuwait and in Iraq.

 We had benefited from 10 years of development, new equipment,  good funding and training and more training. Our Morale was really high, and it showed. The Army had developed "Airland Battle" to disrupt the Soviet echelons especially in the 2nd and 3rd echelons, and the Iraqi's were trained like a Soviet Pattern Army,. The Navy and Air force had also benefited from good training, doctrine, equipment and excellent morale.  Gone was the days of the Post Vietnam Military, the hollow Army was gone, gone was the days of the Navy and Air force cannibalizing equipment to maintain readiness and make deployment goals, We had pride in ourselves and our country.   There was a fear that we didn't learn the lessons from Vietnam, according to the pundits.  Well we had a bunch of leaders that were in Vietnam and vowed that this first major deployment of the U.S Military since Vietnam wouldn't be the same way.  We would go all in or we wouldn't go.  And we succeeded.  The defeat of the Iraqi's was massive.  Saddam Hussain had the crappiest timing since the Argentinians tried to take the Falkland Islands from the British.  Had they waited 1 more year Britain wouldn't have the Navy or the forces to take the island back.  Well Saddam was the same way, before he rolled into Kuwait, there was rumblings of cutting us back since the Cold war was over and the huge Military wasn't needed anymore.  Had he waited a year or 2 we couldn't have mounted the force we did.  Funny how things work out. 


I don't normally make a big deal about my veteran service,I have met awesome people and done things that seen things and witnessed history in the making, and I would go back in time and do it all over again. But this is the day when the War started and it changed my life forever. I view everything in my life as "before the Storm" and"After the Storm". I honestly believe that it has made me a better person and more understanding the duties of a citizen of the Republic. This is to my fellow Veterans, don't matter the service or the time and to those that still walk the ramparts.

Monday Music "867-5309Jenny" by Tommy Tutone

I was a sophomore in high school when this song came out, We would catch the video's on "Solid Gold" and later on MTV.    I thought it was a good but corny song, very early 80's after Disco receded and before the 2nd British Invasion called "New Wave".  I decided to run with this song because I was driving around and it came on my Sirius XM radio in my truck on the 80's channel. 

"867-5309/Jenny" is a 1981 song written by Alex Call and Jim Keller and performed by Tommy Tutone that was released on the album Tommy Tutone 2, on the Columbia Records label. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #16 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart in May 1982 (see 1982 in music).
The song caused a fad of people dialing 867-5309 and asking for "Jenny".

Lead guitarist Jim Keller, interviewed by People in 1982, said "Jenny is a regular girl, not a hooker. Friends of mine wrote her name and number on a men's room wall at a bar. I called her on a dare, and we dated for a while. I haven't talked with her since the song became a hit, but I hear she thinks I'm a real jerk for writing it."
On March 28, 2008, Tommy Tutone lead singer Tommy Heath stated on the WGN Morning News that the number was real and it was the number of a girl he knew. As a joke, he wrote it on a bathroom wall in a motel where they were staying. "We laughed about it for years," he said.
"There was no Jenny," songwriter Alex Call told a Tampa, Florida, columnist in June 2009. "The number? It came to me out of the ether."
In the music video, the "Jenny" character is played by Karen Elaine Morton.

The song, released in late 1981, initially gained popularity on the American West Coast in January 1982; many who had the number soon abandoned it because of unwanted calls.

"When we'd first get calls at 2 or 3 in the morning, my husband would answer the phone. He can't hear too well. They'd ask for Jenny, and he'd say 'Jimmy doesn't live here any more.' (...) Tommy Tutone was the one who had the record. I'd like to get hold of his neck and choke him."

— Mrs. Lorene Burns, an Alabama householder formerly at +1-205-867-5309; she changed her number in 1982.

Asking telephone companies to trace the calls was of no use, as Charles and Maurine Shambarger (then in West Akron, Ohio at +1-216-867-5309) learned when Ohio Bell explained "We don’t know what to make of this. The calls are coming from all over the place." A little over a month later, they disconnected the number and the phone became silent.
In some cases, the number was picked up by commercial businesses or acquired for use in radio promotions.

• In 1982, WLS radio obtained the number from a Chicago woman, receiving 22,000 calls in four days.
• In 1982, Southwest Junior High School received up to two hundred calls daily asking for Jenny in area code 704.
• Brown University obtained the +1-401-867 prefix in 1999, assigning 867-5309 to a student dormitory room which was promptly inundated with nuisance calls. In 2002 the university transferred the number to Gem Plumbing & Heating, a local business in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Gem began using the number in advertising campaigns both in Rhode Island and in eastern Massachusetts (area code 617), trademarking the number in 2005.
• A February 2004 auction for the number in a New York City area code was shut down by eBay after objections from Verizon; bidding had reached $80,000. The US Federal Communications Commission takes the position that most phone numbers are "public resources" that "are not owned by carriers or their customers" but did not rule out the number being sold as part of a business.
• A subsequent February 2004 auction for the number in area code 800 and 888 listed Jeffrey Steinberg's Philadelphia business JSS Marketing for sale, including both numbers as part of the bundle. This circumvents eBay restrictions which prevent selling the numbers on their own.
• In 2004, Weehawken, New Jersey resident Spencer Potter picked up the number for free after discovering to his surprise that it was available in the 201 area code, hoping it would improve his DJ business. Unable to handle the overwhelming volume of calls, he sought to sell the number on eBay in February 2009. Although bids reached $1 million, his inability to confirm the identity of the bidders led him to sell it privately to Retro Fitness, a gym franchise with a location in Secaucus, New Jersey that felt the 1980s origin of the number tied in perfectly with their business's retro theme.
• In 2006, Benjamin Franklin Franchising, a large national plumbing franchise, began using a toll-free version of the number (+1-866-867-5309), which it advertises as "867-5309/Benny".In 2007, Gem Plumbing & Heating brought suit against Clockwork Home Services, the parent company of Benjamin Franklin Franchising, alleging a violation of its trademark. Clockwork contended that Gem's trademark was invalid. Effective in May 2007, Clockwork was ordered by a court to stop using the number in New England. As of 2011 +1-866-867-5309 remains in the hands of Benjamin Franklin Franchising as a valid method of reaching BFF customer support. According to Tommy Heath, lead singer of Tommy Tutone, "It's ridiculous. If I wanted to get into it, I could probably take the number away from both of them."
• In 2009, nutrition firm Natrient LLC leased +1-800-867-5309 from 5309 Partners Ltd for $25 million as part of a radio ad campaign.
• In July 2009, Jason Kaplan had the number assigned to a Vonage phone line in the name of a small business in area code 267 and then listed the entire business for sale on eBay. The auction closed at $5,500. Whereas telephone numbers are the legal property of the wireline carrier, the logic behind this company and several others was that Vonage as a VOIP provider did not own the numbers, making them open for sale, with eBay being the typical medium.
• When area code 855 was opened in 2010, +1-855-867-5309 was taken in the first 47 seconds on the first day, while Pennsylvania 6-5000 was assigned on the twenty-first day. A captive RespOrg "Voice Box International", controlled by the same people who operate "5309 Partners" and "Five309 LLC", also reserved +1-844-867-5309 in the first few seconds after that area code's December 7, 2013 opening. In January 2013, Five309 LLC announced plans to use 855-867-5309 and 888-867-5309 to promote website JennySearch.com but as of 2013 that site is not being actively updated.
• Associate Justice Elena Kagan's opinion in the unanimous 2013 Supreme Court case American Trucking Associations v. Los Angeles uses the number as a hypothetical placard on each truck inviting calls with safety or environmental complaints.
• In 2013, the number was still ringing up fifty misdialled calls daily for Florida realtor, Carrie Routt, in area code 850

Different opponents faced by the British Victorian Army

I bought a book in the early 90's called "The Zulu Wars" and a bit later a book called "The khaki and the Red". These books were fascinating to read the different history and battles that the Victorian era British army faced in defending the empire and "PAX BRITANNIA".   Those books along with a book I used in college called "The Defense of Duffers Drift" which talked about small unit tactics during the Boer war.  Some of the stuff was no longer relevant but it encouraged critical thinking.  One of my favorite movies is "Zulu", having the British soldiers stand and fight the word I remember from the movie was "Get some good pikeman", for the use of the bayonet would be needed.

As I recall part of the British soldier to deal and adapt was part of the Victorian heritage that was prevalent at the time, the British soldiers and the culture believed that they were superior to everyone because they were British, it was part of the DNA.  For this reason they pushed the sphere of influence to a point where it was said that "The Sun never sets on the British Empire".  Also I remembered another movie with Michael Caine and Sean Connery "The man who would be King"

It is a different time and I wonder what a Britisher from back then would think about the empire today and the problems that the British are having from the E.U and the invasions of the "Kiffirs" from the subcontinents.


Maintaining your status as a global power is no easy thing. The British Victorian Army was one of the best equipped and most experienced in the world, its forces active from North Africa to the South Pacific. But while this gave many British soldiers useful experience, it also created unique challenges for them, their commanders and the politicians putting them into the field.
The British army was the same wherever they went, but their opponents were wildly different, each one presenting a new combination of skills, tactics, and weaponry for the British to overcome.

1. Egyptian Nationalists

By 1879, the Egyptian government was massively corrupt, inefficient, and favorable to Europeans over locals. Even the law gave better protection to wealthy Europeans in the country than its native inhabitants. France and Britain in particular held huge sway.
Egyptian nationalists led by Colonel Ahmed ‘Urabi seized control of the country, seeking to bring about democratic reforms that would take power away from the elite and reduce foreign influence. France refused to intervene. Britain, on the other hand, used the death of 50 Europeans in riots to justify an invasion in 1882, whose real purpose was the defense of economic interests.
The forces they faced were trained and equipped by Europeans and fought like a regular army. But the British proved superior, defeating ‘Urabi at the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir and taking control of Egypt.

2. Ashanti

The defeat of the Ashantees, by the British forces under the command of Coll. Sutherland, July 11th, 1824.

As in Egypt, the British fought the Ashanti Empire, located in modern Ghana, for control of economic resources. They wanted to control gold from the region, and ownership or favorable peace treaties could prevent other European powers from getting involved.
The Ashanti were primitively armed but experienced and smart at fighting in local terrain. Launching ambushes out of the hills and jungle, they gained the element of surprise and often outflanked their opponents.
The downside of Ashanti tactics was a lack of cohesion and close order discipline. In the face of increasingly accurate rifles, dispersed troops were more vulnerable than they had been a century before. Unable to break British formations, they were repeatedly defeated.

3. Zulus

Perhaps the most famous of Britain’s colonial opponents, the Zulu Empire was defended by warriors called impis. Tough and aggressive, they could run for miles before charging into battle and overwhelming their opponents with short stabbing spears. They were also highly disciplined, able to maneuver swiftly and coherently on command and willing to throw themselves in waves against the enemy.
To gather together various territories in southern Africa, the British needed to conquer the Zulus. They sent an ultimatum that triggered the war and then invaded Zulu lands.
The Zulus achieved an early victory at Isandlwana, where appalling leadership crippled the British  forces. The famous defense of Rorke’s Drift followed, in which 150 British and colonial troops fought off 3-4,000 Zulus in a desperate engagement.

Defense of Rorke’s Drift.

Despite these early events, the ferocity, tenacity, and courage that had served the Zulus so well were not enough to let Spears beat modern guns. By the final Battle of Ulundi, courageous charges were creating massive casualties for little gain. However, the war had shaken British confidence, teaching some not to under-estimate a technologically inferior force.

4. Maoris

Hone Heke cuts down the flagstaff on Flagstaff Hill at Kororāreka.

A similar lesson was taught in the New Zealand Wars (1845-1872). With settlers spreading across New Zealand, and the colonial authorities backing them against the native Maoris, many locals took up arms to resist.
The Maori way of warfare was the polar opposite of that used by the Zulus. Impi tactics were flowing and aggressive, adapted to fight other African tribes. Those of the Maoris were stationary and defensive, adapted to counter European guns. Creating fortified earthen strongholds called pā, the Maoris held off British and then colonial militia troops, firing from well-prepared defensive positions, forcing the attackers into costly advances. Though the result was once again domination by white colonials, fighting was nowhere near as decisive as in the Zulu Empire.

5. Xhosa

Resistance fighters defend a stronghold in the forested Water Kloof during the 8th Xhosa war of 1851. Xhosa, Kat River Khoi-khoi, and some army deserters are depicted.

The Zulus were not the only natives the British fought in their attempt to unite southern Africa. Further, east, the Xhosa also resisted, triggering the Ninth Xhosa War (1877-9)
Unable to beat the well-equipped British in open battle, the Xhosa retreated to the Amatola Mountains. Here they fought a guerrilla war, making use of the terrain to launch a string of ambushes. By never presenting the British with a target and always withdrawing when put under pressure, they prevented the invaders from gaining an advantage. It was only by building a string of fortifications and creating an elaborate system of mounted pursuit that the British beat them.

6. Mahdists

The Battle of Omdurman.

The Mahdists in Sudan faced the British with a different challenge in the 1880s and 1890s. Believing their leader Muhammad Ahmad to be the Mahdi, a prophesied Islamic religious leader, they fought with fanatical fervor against foreign influence.
This religious fervor led to frontal assaults even more determined than those of the Zulus. Though these served the Mahdists well early on, they were no match for well-prepared troops equipped with the latest guns. It was such a force that broke them finally broke them at Omdurman in 1898.

7. Boers

Boer militiamen at Spionkop.

While many opponents used elements of guerrilla warfare against the British, the Boer version came closest to what we see in the modern world. The descendants of Dutch settlers, the Boers became caught up in the British attempt to unify southern Africa, and like the natives they resisted.
Smart, accurate marksmen with talented leaders who understood European warfare, they were foes unlike any others the British had faced. They were able to gain large armies and adapt elements of guerrilla warfare to the battlefield, defeating the British in bloody confrontations as well as small actions.
Ultimately, the Boers were undone not by their enemies’ superior tactics or leadership. Indeed, British leadership in the war was often among the worst in history. Yet even the tenacious Boers could not defeat the superior resources of the British Empire, and sheer weight of numbers eventually wore them down

Eating Crow....The media

We saw a couple of days ago when Mr. Trump made a point of ignoring a CNN reporter after CNN tried to substantiate a fan fiction that was pushed by buzzfeed as a hack job on the President Elect..

The backstory is that a hack outfit called "buzzfeed" published a 35 page report that was a fiction created by some place called 4chan and it talks about that Trump paid hookers to urinate on a bed that was slept on by Obama.  Well it was total fabrication to use a polite word and buzzfeed ran it and CNN linked the story.  Needless this came out right before Trump's first press conference after he won the election.    He was rightfully pissed and made a point to ignore the CNN reporter.

Well Neil Cavuto made a comment to CNN "How does it feel to be dismissed CNN".  President Obama has been dismissing Fox news and feuding with Fox for 8 years.  The other networks have been used to soft-balling questions to the ruling establishment and having access and of course they disseminate the party line to the people in flyover country. 

   The problem is the media is seeing themselves as the voice of the resistance now rather than actual journalist.  They totally went into the tank for Hillary, from feeding their questions to her campaign in advance to help her cause to totally tilting the coverage between Trump and Hillary.  I remember when Trump talked bout "grabbing some P***Y", there was like 28 minutes of coverage of that and like 3 minutes of Hillary and her classified emails.   This is a big part that cost the media their credibility and the average American really could see their bias for it was always talked about in the conservative side and it was in the past dismissed as "paranoia" but this last election cycle the bias was so blatant that the average American saw it. 

  Like I said, the media views themselves as the voice of the resistance against Trump .  The shock of their idol Hillary being defeated really rattled them to the core and all the protest from the liberals have given them hope and they are trying to delegitimize Trumps election, kinda like what they did to "W" on his first term after Gore tried to sandbag him in Florida.  Now we are seeing this on a grand scale with Trump.   I don't know what it is with Liberals, when Obama got elected, I and other conservatives were not happy but we didn't try to shank his presidency until we saw the damage he was trying to do.  We gave him the benefit of the doubt and respected the electorial process, but the liberals are not doing the same.