While most states don’t celebrate it, today, April 19 is Patriot’s Day, commemorating the 246th anniversary of the opening battles of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord.
This was the start of what became America!
History.com has a nice write up on it HERE. Take a moment to remember those who lay down their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today…
We are winding down the last day of Foolzcon this morning. And my butt is dragging… Sigh
we are once again fighting the battle with the coffee pot and losing, but we’re making it work 🙂 seems seems like everybody has had fun, which was the purpose of the whole damn thing. No panels just folks actually able to sit around and BS, but it’s funny to watch the kids running screaming around the building and out in the field and having fun and working themselves out unlike what They have to do that icon which is go sit in a room.
So, normal blogging will resume tomorrow morning, so go to the folks on the side bar they are much better than I am at this.
A bit long, but worth watching if you had a family member serve in WWI. Fast forward to 29.45 to the actual start of the presentation. A number of folks/organizations did a butt ton of work to make this happen in less that ten years!
May they rest in peace.
Gotta play host this weekend… I know better than to do this…
But… We’re doing Foolzcon again. Should be an interesting mix of people, between writers, pilots, shooters, and various ‘other’ folks… and folks started showing up last night.
Contrary to ‘popular’ opinion, this was NOT a requirement!
So what I’m saying is there will be light commenting and maybe light posting the next couple of days. Just sayin’
Sigh…this truly ISN’T my Navy anymore…
Under the Navy’s new Departure & Separation Program, sailors on six surface ships were provided access to licensed counselors and specially trained educators during their first two to six weeks of deployment.
Full article, HERE.
I literally have no words for this… none…
In the True/False question of the day, was this character based on a real person or not?
Answer below the fold-
Or logic from an uncluttered Mind …
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, ‘When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah’.
The teacher asked, ‘What if Jonah went to hell?’
The little girl replied, ‘Then you ask him’.
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child’s work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, ‘I’m drawing God.’
The teacher paused and said, ‘But no one knows what God looks like.’
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, ‘They will in a minute.’
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six-year-olds. After explaining the commandment to ‘honor’ thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, ‘Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?’
From the back, one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, ‘Thou shall not kill.’
One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, ‘Why are some of your hairs white, Mum?’
Her mother replied, ‘Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.’
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, ‘Mummy, how come ALL of grandma’s hairs are white?’
The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. ‘Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, ‘There’s Jennifer, she’s a lawyer,’ or ‘That’s Michael, He’s a doctor.’
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, ‘And there’s the teacher, she’s dead.’
A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, ‘Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face.’
‘Yes,’ the class said.
‘Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary positions the blood doesn’t run into my feet?’
A little fellow shouted, Cause your feet ain’t empty.’
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note and posted on the apple tray: ‘Take only ONE. God is watching.’
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, ‘Take all you want. God is watching the apples….’
And then there is common sense… which seems to be lacking today…
Sooooo, those people who ‘claim’ they can’t get any ID can’t do any of the other things? Is that what I’m hearing???
Funny, that doesn’t seem to be how things work out in real life… Just sayin…
Usual caveats, comments and recommendations appreciated! Up to a little over 40k words, so getting close to half way done!
Ton’Skel was morose and listless for the next two days, sometimes coming out of his room to watch more e-tainment histories, seemingly with a completely different mindset. He was often growling at the screen, even as he watched program after program. He ate as much, if not more than before, was quietly polite to Fargo and attentive to the animals, but he had obviously changed.
Fargo finally asked him on the morning of the third day, “Are you going to be alright, Ton?”
Ton’Skel looked across the table at him. “I…am fine. I have something I must do now. I must…how do you say, prepare to avenge my family honor. It is very probable that I will die in the attempt. I am young, inexperienced, and do not have the skills I need.” His eyes changed color as he asked plaintively, “How can I possibly defeat those I must challenge?”
Cocking his head, Fargo asked, “How do you challenge them? I…know little of your actual lifestyle or how you do things over there.”
“It must be an open challenge. If possible, one challenges the head of the family. It is one-on-one combat, to the death. No quarter is given, ever! To give quarter would be…to shame one’s heritage.”
Fargo shook his head. “Shame your heritage or theirs?”
“My heritage. We…only power is…respected. To give quarter is to…” he threw up his hands. “I do not know the words.” He looked sharply at Fargo. “Why…do you not kill me? You have killed my kind. That you do not, does that not bring shame on you?”
Leaning back, Fargo thought for a few seconds. “No, honor, for us means to respect something or someone. We honor the accords signed for diplomatic immunity. To…violate them would bring dishonor…shame to us. And we do not make war on children.” He held up his hand to forestall Ton’s next question. “Yes, I have killed Dragoons in battle. But I do not like killing for the sake of killing. What I have done is nothing in comparison to what many, if not all the Ghorka have done. We do not kill now unless for self-protection, or for food, or to take care of predators. Yes, I have killed a Dragoon here on Hunter. That was…over a year ago. One of your hidden outposts was located, and we…removed it. I did not take pleasure in that, but it was necessary to protect the settlers on the planet.”
Ton’Skel looked at him as he got up. “We had…a…outpost you called it, here?”
Fargo poured himself the last cup of coffee, and leaned against the center counter, remembering that Jace said there was now a basement underneath it. I…need to find out what is down there, but not now. Maybe later. “What do you call them?”
“They are… we call it proving. A young warrior is sent with a cadre of troops and Traders to establish themselves on a new world. They must find precious metals and…send those back to their family. If they do, they are allowed to keep the world. If they fail, they are sent into combat until they die. This is to…keep the family strong.”
“The mothers, er, matriarchs don’t say anything about this?”
Ton’Skel shook his head. “No, they are the…keepers of the family. I…they do not fight in combat. They…I do not have the words.” Frustrated, he growled. “In my culture, those in power do as they will. No one will contradict them. Or at least not where anyone can see that being done. If it is ever done, it is only in private with only…family leader there.” He got up in frustration. “I…must think. I will go run now.”
Fargo nodded. “Enjoy the run. I am willing to talk any time.” Cattus and Canis got up and made for the door, sitting quietly until Ton’Skel opened it, then squirted out the door past him. Fargo sent a thought, “Watch and follow.” He felt both the animals acknowledge the command and stood as the door closed. Now to find out what the hell Jace meant about this basement he put in.
He went to the window and watched Ton running easily down the field and quickly stepped into the kitchen. Running his hand up the side of the center island, he felt a tingle and heard a click. He gave a gentle shove, and the island slid noiselessly to the side. He looked down a set of steps and saw soft white light showing a white floor. He glanced around, then went carefully down the steps. At the bottom he stopped and looked around slowly. Damn! This…is amazing!
He walked slowly around the basement, amazed at how cleanly the walls, floor, and ceiling had been done. The small reactor sat in the far corner by itself. But there were a number of other things that caused him to wonder. A box, emitting a blue glow, sat against the wall underneath the stairs. It drew his attention, and he crouched to look at it. “Like your new digs?”
“Jace? Is…that you?”
“Of course. I took the liberty of adding a copy of myself here. I also am fully functional, including an additional FTL antenna concealed on the roof. Oh, and midway on the left-hand wall, there is a portal there. Go stand in front of it.”
“How…I mean, you’re communicating directly with me now.”
“I’ve matched the wavelength on your neural net. I can speak directly to you anywhere in the house and ten to fifteen yards outside the house.”
Fargo walked over and stood in front of the wall. “Now what?”
“Step forward.”
“But?”
“Close your eyes and step forward.” He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and took a step. “Another step!” He took a second step and felt the temperature drop. Quickly opening his eyes, he could see a tunnel stretching out in front of him. He turned around and saw the basement as if through a thin piece of cloth.
“What the hell?” He blurted out as he stepped back into the cellar.
“Holo projector covers the entrance. It runs all the way up to the tree line. It comes out in some boulders up there, just below the waterfall. Oh, and you have a deposit of gold up there. I took the liberty of having the fabber convert the nuggets it found while digging the tunnel into two bars. They’re in the cabinet on the left.”
Fargo looked around in amazement again. “I…it’s hard to believe you got all this done so…quickly.”
“Mechs and fabbers can do wonders when they are left alone.”
He took the steps up to the kitchen and slid the island back into position, hearing it click into place. Just as he started to get a drink, the e-tainment center beeped twice for an incoming vid. He quickly stepped back into the living room and said, “Accept.”
The screen blinked on to show a bearded face, Fargo remembered him and said, “Ethan Fargo Can I help you, Mr. Remington?”
Remington smiled and replied, “I hope so Mister Fargo, I’m on my way down to Hunter. Should be ground side tomorrow morning. I’d like to meet with you at the same place as before. I…need your help again.”
“SP one, at zero nine. Got it, main conference room at the administration building. See you then.” With that, the screen went black, and the disconnected symbol popped up. So, Mr. Remington, Rick, needs me to hunt something? Silverbacks again? I wonder where? And…damn, what am I going to do with Ton? He shrugged. Well, he can get by for a few hours while I run down to Rushing River. But if I have to go on a hunt…better see what Jace is doing. I might need a shuttle and just take Ton with me.
***
The next morning at zero seven, he hauled the liteflyer out of storage and configured it for cargo, since he needed to bring supplies back, and it also gave him an excuse to go see Mikhail, Luann, and Nicole. After warning Ton to stay close to the cabin, he told Cattus and Canis to watch and guard Ton. He launched for the spaceport. A warning of a new tight beam popped in on the navigation display, and he accepted it, remembering he needed to go see Mikhail about the next expansion of the tight beam links that TBT would be putting in.
He arrived at the spaceport a half div early and ambled over to the administration building. As he neared the building, Remington’s ship, Ol’ Betsy, came in for a landing. Ungainly, not in the slightest aerodynamic. It looked like somebody had chopped off a freighter just below the bridge and first deck and put a flat plate on the bottom. That was accentuated by the lander legs that looked grafted onto the four corners of the shuttle. Smiling, he continued on into the building and was greeted by Sergeant Omar, who asked, “Ho, lieutenant of the retired, meeting today you have?”
Fargo replied, “Ho Sergeant, meeting I have, people of importance come.” The sergeant waved him through, and Fargo went to the snack bar, picking up a bulb of coffee and headed for the conference room. He had just sat down when Remington walked in, came around the table, and stuck out his huge hand. “Ethan, good to see you.”
“What can I do for you, Rick? I sense a little bit of worry again.”
“I…have a new operation going in down at fifty south, one thirty east. I…there is advance word that a new crop of colonists are going to be set up down there. And it’s some prime land. I have…a contract to take out some old growth teak and mahogany just south of the new plat layout. And I did commission a survey. The trees are huge, averaging over a hundred feet tall. They notified me they had seen tracks, and felt ‘watched’, for lack of a better word. I did a fly by yesterday and got some IR hits on a sensor. I think it might be a pair of Silverbacks, or maybe two pair. My…sites are going to be about sixty miles apart, due to forest locations.”
Fargo said, “What makes you think Silverbacks?”
“Well, I remembered what you told me about them being the apex predators, living in high places, and territorial. These camps are both in the mountains, between five and seven thousand feet up. And,” he paused for a few seconds, “I didn’t see a single other thing moving in either of those areas.”
Fargo nodded. “Sounds right. So, you didn’t actually see anything?”
“Well, I got this on IR.” Remington brought up a holo and they watched two pairs of hotspots moving around the high spots near both camps. “I don’t know what else they could be, and my systems aren’t really set up for high res scans,” he said apologetically.
“I think you’re probably right. Where are you looking at the main camp and mill location?”
Remington switched the holo to map mode and five highlighted points popped up. “The blues are the cutting sites. The yellow are two different meadows that I can site habs in and also use as pickup points for Ol’ Betsy.” He zoomed the map in on a green point. “This is down by the river, looks like ten, maybe twelve acres of meadow. I plan to make this the mill site, habs, and the main pickup point for the skylift. I’m expecting to get something around a million board feet of lumber out of those two stands, probably three-fourths of it Mahogany, and one-fourth Teak.”
Fargo whistled. “That’s a lot of wood! I’m guessing that will make you a few credits.”
Remington laughed. “Oh yes, somewhere in the vicinity of forty million credits. Of course I have to take expenses out of that, and shipping, and…but I’ll still do alright.”
“Maybe I should up my fee…” Fargo smiled.
“Take out all four of…whatever they are, and I’ll gladly pay you eighty thousand credits. You want me to fly you down there?”
Fargo started to reply, Shit…if I do that, what do I do with Ton? Stuff him back with the…no, I’ll just talk to him and maybe take him with me. At least he’ll get a chance to see a different part of Hunter and maybe getting him away…Jace can loan us a shuttle. Remington looked at him and he finally said, “No, I’ve got…a shuttle I can use, and if this is going to be a new site, I can get with Mikhail and do a preliminary site survey for him, which will give me the shuttle for a few days.”
Remington sighed and Fargo sensed worry when he’d mentioned Mikhail. Now Remington looked pleadingly at him. “Please don’t say anything about the…new settlement. I’m…not supposed to know about it.”
“I need to talk to him about some security updates, if he mentions it, I’ll just act surprised.”
“Thank you!” He slid a credit chip across the table. “Here is half of the credits due. The others when you finish, as usual.”
Fargo swept the credit chip up. “Thanks. It might take a week or so.”
“No problem, we’re a month out from setting up, anyway. We’re going to pull the equipment from Evergreen over there, and I need to have my maintenance folks go over it with a fine-toothed comb before we move it.”
***
Mikhail was behind the counter when Fargo walked in. “Fargo! This is a surprise. I was going to vid you tomorrow. We’re going to have our quarterly meeting this afternoon, but I didn’t think you’d want to attend, all things considered.”
He sensed satisfaction from Mikhail and felt Luann coming from the back where they lived, Ian and Inga following her. Mischievously, he ducked down and Mikhail smiled. The kids came around the end of the counter and he pounced on them, tickling them as he picked them up. Luann shook her head. “Ethan, stop that! You’re going to get those two riled up and they never will go down for their naps.”
Inga grabbed him around the neck and squealed as he tickled her and piped, “I don’t want nap.”
Ian asked, “Unka Ethan, you stay for lunch?”
He glanced at Luann and she smiled. “Your timing is just about right. Lunch will be ready in a div. Have you seen Nicole yet?”
Shaking his head, he said, “No, that’s where I was going next.”
“Bring her back with you then. There’s plenty for all, and I want to hear about what went on in White Beach.” Mikhail rolled his eyes at that, and Luann smacked him on the shoulder. “Well, you didn’t tell me what was happening, so I will get it from the source.”
Fargo set the kids down and glanced at them. “What time is the quarterly?”
“Fourteen. You’ve got plenty of time.” Mikhail reached under the counter and came up with the dongle for the runabout. “Go see Nicole. We’ll be here.”
Five segs later he pulled up in front of the Copper Mug, hopped down and tromped through the slush to the front door. Slipping in, he called out, “Nicole, are you here?”
He heard something about the kitchen and sensed her frustration, winced and walked back. She was bent over the prep table doing something and Hugh was hiding in the far corner with a scared expression on his face. “Am I interrupting something?”
Nicole turned around and blew her hair out of her face. He chuckled at the flour on her nose and she snapped, “What’s so funny?”
He grabbed a clean towel and gently wiped the flour off. “You had a white nose. It was…”
“Don’t you dare say cute! I’ll—”
Fargo smiled. “Okay, I won’t say it’s cute. Do you want to go to lunch with Mikhail and Luann?”
“When?”
“Um…now?”
She glared at him. “Really? Now? Looking like…” She looked at Hugh. “Do you think you can get the mixture right this time?”
He gulped. “Yes, ma’am. I…won’t mess it up again, I promise!”
Nicole relented. “Hugh, I know you try. That’s all I can ask. I’m going to lunch, when I get back, we’ll work on the other pastries, then get ready for the dinner crowd.” She grabbed Fargo and dragged him back to her apartment. “Pull out something for me to wear while I run through the fresher.”
That stopped Fargo cold. I don’t know what…or where… He frantically looked around the bedroom and remembered there was a closet on the far side of the bed. Opening it, he sighed in relief. Now, what color…and warm, it’s cold out there and she gets cold… He pawed through and finally pulled out a dark green pair of pants and a sweater, laying them on the bed just as Nicole came out of the fresher.
“Do I get to wear underwear?” She asked with a laugh.
He blushed and stuttered as she quickly pulled on the bra, panties, and socks. Cocking her head, she looked at the combination of sweater and pants. “Not too bad. I’ve never actually worn those together, but they do work.” Slipping into them and boots, she grabbed his arm. “Okay, let’s go!”
1966: Long hair
2021: Longing for hair
1966: KEG
2021: EKG
1966: Acid rock
2021: Acid reflux
1966: Moving to California because it’s cool
2021: Moving to Arizona because it’s warm
1966: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor
2021: Trying NOT to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor
1966: Seeds and stems
2021: Roughage
1966: Hoping for a BMW
2021: Hoping for a BM
1966: Going to a new, hip joint
2021: Receiving a new hip joint
1966: Rolling Stones
2021: Kidney Stones
1966: Screw the system
2021: Upgrade the system
1966: Disco
2021: Costco
1966: Parents begging you to get your hair cut
2021: Children begging you to get their heads shaved
1966: Passing the drivers’ test
2021: Passing the vision test
1966: Whatever
2021: Depends
Just in case you weren’t feeling too old today, this will certainly change things. Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to give the faculty a sense of the mindset of this year’s incoming freshmen. Here’s this year’s list:
The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1998.
They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.
Their lifetime has always included AIDS.
Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.
The CD was introduced 7 years before they were born.
They have always had an answering machine..
They have always had cable. They cannot fathom not having a remote control..
Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.
They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.
They can’t imagine what hard contact lenses are.
They don’t know who Mork was or where he was from. They never heard: “Where’s the Beef?”, “I’d walk a mile for a Camel”, or “de plane, Boss, de plane..”
They do not care who shot J. R. & have no idea who J. R. even is
Mc Donald’s never came in Styrofoam containers.
AND EVEN WORSE…
They don’t have a clue how to use a typewriter.
President Biden will nominate David Chipman, an adviser to the gun control organization founded by former Representative Gabrielle Giffords, to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or A.T.F., according to two people with knowledge of the move.
Full article, HERE.
John Richardson has a new post up about Chipman, with a different ‘perspective’, HERE…
Somehow I don’t think Chipman is going to make it through confirmation… Just sayin’
Or power play???
It appears the ‘swamp’ is on a rampage to ensure they never lose power again. Xiden is not in charge, honestly I wonder if he even knows what he’s doing half the time…
BUT, he’s ‘signed’ 38 executive orders, 13 presidential memoranda (which are de facto EOs without legal backing), 37 proclamations, and 10 notices.
He came out yesterday with this key statement: “But no amendment, no amendment to the Constitution is absolute.” In other words, he believes the Constitution that he swore to protect and defend can be changed at will.
And…the left if working to pack the court, article HERE. Do away with the filibuster in the Senate, and ram through HR-1/SR-1 (Crooked politicians act).
It is my ‘guess’, and I pray I’m wrong, that they are going to do their damndest to dismantle our current (flawed but currently controlled by the Constitution and Bill of Rights) form of government and install themselves as a one party system from 2022 on. They would also effectively take all forms of checks and balances between the three divisions of government away, leaving them to ram through anything they wanted, Constitution and Bill of Rights be damned…
And we’re seeing that play out in real time as the MSM, Big Tech, Universities, and others (BLM, SPLC, PP, etc.) drive what gets in the media or shared on social media. The dumbing down is coming too… Math and now English/writing are deemed to be white supremacy, therefore they must be ‘adjusted’ to allow ‘minority’ success…
Even as they plan to gut the military, force it to do CRT training, and take needed money away from maintenance to fund ‘incentives’ for others.
In their initial budget submission to Congress released Friday, White House officials said the compromise number will provide “resources to defend America and deter adversaries” while still allowing the federal government to better balance defense spending with other domestic priorities.
Full article, HERE.
And lets not forget the ‘crisis’ on the border. 170,000 illegals last month, 19,000 of them ‘children’… $60Million/wk to care for/feed/house them. And no testing, pushing them into the economy, without even a reporting court date (as if they would show up anyway). If HR/SR-1 go through, that’s 151,000 ‘new’ democratic votes a month… That’s another 2,890,000 democratic votes next November…
Somebody please tell me I’m wrong… PLEASE…