On this day in 1776

The Battle of Trenton, 26 December, 1776.

Three companies of Continental Marines under the command of the Commandant, Major Samuel Nicholas engaged in the Battle of Trenton New Jersey.  These included one African American Marine named Orange.  Ooh-Rah!

The full story is available in the Marine Corps Gazette

General Washington crossing the Delaware.

Happy Birthday Mr. Ben Stein!

Today is Mr. Ben Stein's Birthday!

I'm Just A Bill - SNL 2014

From Saturday Night Live - Schoolhouse Rock, "I'm Just A Bill" with a little help from the President.

Seven Score and Eleven Years Ago Today.

President Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address 151 Years ago today.

What did it mean, what should we take away from it.

In context it is a speech to rally the Nation and bolster a flagging will to fight.  The meaning of the war, "To Save the Union" had been changed into a Holy crusade to "Set other men free", yet this was not taken to heart by most of the population.  The draft had been instituted that Summer, and riots opposing it burned hot only days after the great battle in July.  New York City urned against compulsory service, the mob taking out its anger on black men in the city.  So grave the disruption in New York that Federal troops had to be brought in the quell the violence and restore order.

What can we draw from that time?  In school we are taught that established single point narrative of slavery as the sole cause for the war.  Historians, authors who should know better or refuse to know parrot this narrative.  If we look at primary and secondary source material from the time such as personal letters, essays, publications such as Harper's Weekly we see a number of reasons, mostly corresponding to a shift in the economy through industrialization and tariff policy.  You can see it in the editorials North and South, and in the political cartoons.

This is not something new, it had been brewing slowly for a number of decades.  Andrew Jackson addressed it during his presidency, the threat off succession from South Carolina.  His force of personality and known character carried behind his words when he said regarding the matter "if one drop of blood be shed there in defiance of the laws of the United States, I will hang the first man of them I can get my hands on to the first tree I can find."  That was in 1832, and the matter was tariffs enabling economic disparity between Northern manufacturing and Southern raw materials.  This was the beginning of the modern era for America, moving from agrarian to industrial, from slave based labor in the South to immigrant based labor in the Northern States.  The conditions faced by immigrant labor were the force behind modern labor law.

No, I am not going to provide a list of sources.  You my fellow American need to go out and learn about your country, its history and the grit it has taken to allow you the freedom you have and the effort required of you to keep it.  As the Iroquois say, "for the next seven generations."

Coming full circle, it is a great speech.  Short, moving, on point.

After completing the Gettysburg Address, President Lincoln, center, without hat.

Christmas Tree Tax?

Did you know there is a tax on Christmas Trees starting this year?  Apparently it is part of the Farm Bill.  It went into effect in April 2014.  A bit of subsidy spending to prop up declining sales of fresh cut Christmas Trees. . .

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2014/04/04/the-christmas-tree-tax-quietly-takes-root/

That is a 6% decline from 1965 to 2008.

Aha!  That faint aroma, something has gone rotten in the state of Denmark perhaps?

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow. . .SNOW!

"It won't be long before we're all there with snow!"

No, I'm not on a Northbound train to Pinetree, Vermont.  The forecast is for Snow, or Wintry Mix, whatever that is?  Snow, sleet, ice?  The schools all over the county have closed for a snow day.  It's not bad outside.  I was out for about thirty minutes this morning for chores.  My turkeys we intensely interested in the sleet froze on top of their tractor.

In honor of the snow day, here is a musical interlude.  Snow!  Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen, from the classic White Christmas.  Enjoy.

A Veteran Remembers

From the Duluth News Tribune. 95 year old Erling Jonassen was on Mindanao, in the Philippines when the Japanese struck that December of 1941.  Not willing to surrender, he and other soldiers struck out into the jungle, finding others and taking the guerrilla fight to the enemy with DiY warfare.  Great story for this Veteran's Day!

108 year old World War Two Vet. . .Inspirado!

"At a 108 years old, he’s not interested in changing his whiskey-soaked (cigar smoking) ways."

Now thats a good story!

Semper Fi.

November 10th, 1775

"On 10 November each year, wherever we are, we pause to celebrate the anniversary of our Corps, and reflect on who we are, what we do, and why we do it."
— Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. 

Agile Household?

I spotted this post at Mike Cohn's website, Cool!  We don't do it exactly the same, but we've been Agile in our household for about three years now.  Index cards, Scrum board in the kitchen, backlog board in the office.  It works well for us.  As in all organizations the failures are human, we didn't/couldn't/wouldn't do something that had an effect.  It makes for better conversation between us and of course compels each of us to take (PULL) responsibility for tasks and the outcome is shared. . .

Remember, Remember. . .

"Remember, remember, the fifth of November the Gunpowder Treason and plot;
I see of no reason why Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.”

The Fifth of November.  Guy Fawkes Day!  His intent to “to blow you Scotch beggars back to your native mountains."  And end the reign of King James.  James as a monarch was none to kind to the Scots either.  But that is another story that branches off to me. . .

Pesticides are good for you. . .aren't they?

Pesticides are good for you aren't they?   They must be, because the FDA tells me so!

Follow the money to see the truth.  I am in agreement.

H/T MarksDailyApple

GoPro Tanks Attack!

Have you seen this?  Some Syrian tankers have GoPro cameras mounted on their turrets and record their combat missions.  Raw, hardcore treadhead stuff.  ERA blocks taking the force of ATGM and RPG hits.  Tank vs. tank, man vs. tank, tank vs. fortified positions.  Man!  The YouTube video channel has a bunch of them.

What Americans are Afraid of. . .

Interesting.  More fear yet less crime.  It turns out that what Americans truly have to fear. . .is fear itself.  Truth is truth.  More evidence supporting the plan to disconnect your TV from the outside and take all news, Left, Right, Middle as tabloid sensationalist with a primary goal of titillation for higher commercial rates.

"What we found when we asked a series of questions pertaining to fears of various crimes is that a majority of Americans not only fear crimes such as, child abduction, gang violence, sexual assaults and others; but they also believe these crimes (and others) have increased over the past 20 years," said Dr. Edward Day who led this portion of the research and analysis. "When we looked at statistical data from police and FBI records, it showed crime has actually decreased in America in the past 20 years. Criminologists often get angry responses when we try to tell people the crime rate has gone down."

H/T to Bruce Schneier.

Medal of Honor to be awarded for Gettysburg. . .

It is a stirring story, 22 year old Alonzo Cushing, a First Lieutenant commanding Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery.  A regular, standing his ground, wounded, keeping up the fire until he was finally hit again and killed.  Battery A was at the center of the Federal line.  The epicenter of action on that third day of battle.  George Pickett's attack was aimed squarely at Alonso Cushing and his guns.

50 Years ago today "A Time for Choosing"

Yes, fifty years ago in a televised address for the Goldwater Presidential Campaign, Ronald Reagan challenged Americans.  Listen to it, hear it again or for the first time.  Make your choice.

We Few, We Happy Few. . .

This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian':
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.’
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
–Henry V, Act IV, Scene 3.

Wow, I've sucked at posting. . .

It's true, I've lagged, I've blown it off, I've ignored it.  No more.  Here it comes, the deluge!