Thanks Tonto!

Sage advice Jane. I don't block anyone and read everyone. I do engage in Scrolling On By when things get convoluted. I always find something good to read on this blog when I do so.

The LCS was doomed the moment they decided to arm it with a 57mm deck gun. Fires to small a round only about 9000 yards. Type 057 Frigates will chew them up.

Jim, Mom's side was late 1600's Virginia. We don't mention them though.

GUS, university athletics used to be great. They'll figure out a way to screw it up though. High school sports used to be great. Until the boys beat the girls in girls sports. There is a cabal out there who is steadily, while you are sleeping, that is destroying sports.

Gus, "America deserve to be paid by the decendants of those who freed them" My direct ancestor arrived in the U.S. in 1858 and earned his citizenship by volunteering for service in 1861 to put down the rebellion. In my own thinking on this, I should be squared up on reparations.

I love Girls/Womens Sports. I had a couple of girls plays sports in High School, one at a kinda high level in volleyball. Enough that one of the girls got an invite to play at, of all places, Oberlin. She wanted the 'full college experience' and I sent her to I.U. instead. DAD FAILURES. Oughta be a meme for that... Anyways, the diff between girls and boys playing sports is huge especially at the pro level where it's a business. Title IX at the high school and and collegiate removes 'the business' need to make money. Whether high school or college level, Men's basketball and football subsidize all other sports, men's or women's. Some people get confused that most sports at high school and collegiate levels are subsidized and believe after the collegiate level everyone should be paid the same. With Title IX removed at that level, the public is free to choose who they support and the public always chooses the greatest athletes to follow. Repinoe will never play in the Premier League.

I think I heard this today somewhere: Amount of money spent on Womens World Cup: $130,000,000 Amount of money spent on Mens World Cup: $6,000,000,000 I don't know where that money comes from but, I think that explains the disparity.

Lagarde to the EU Bank? German Defence Minister to head of EU? I'm sure that the EU's eastern and southern tier of states will be heartened by this development.

I can't wait to see the tanks on the Mall on the Fourth. I read in comments on a blog today they presage the opening moves of a coup by the Unelected One. The rounding up of The Resistance. One can only hope it leads to the inclusion of the citizenship question on the census.

The Brit press was complaining pre match that the American gals were a bit to celebratory in their wins and exhibiting poor sportsmanship. I heard on the radio today that one of our lasses, after scoring a goal, lifted her hand up to her mouth as to take a sip of tea with her pinky extended. Unlikely to tamp down the Brit's distress at the Ami's unruly behavior. I personally find it quite amusing.

off to work I go good luck with the html!

the interesting thing is the italics closing tag looks like it's done it job immediately after the post. once you refresh it's italicized again.

that didn't work...

maybe... There once was a senator from Mass...

"WAIT TILL WARREN STARTS TALKING IN CHEROKEE." I'm gonna nominate that for Best Comment on the Debate. Damn straight it's the funniest!

Clarice, the bright side of that is you didn't have to dodge any balls. Those girls hit hard and the ball comes at you fast when your sitting courtside. They are great athletes. I took home a trophy welt on the side of my head one year for the sin of not paying attention. Check your hubby's head...

volleyball... went to orlando for AAU Nationals volleyball club two years in a row. probably about 2012 and 2013. when you walk into the orlando convention center there are maybe 150 courts with 16 girls on the court playing and 48 waiting there turn. it's frickin' awesome! Clarice, make sure you make it to the upside down house in Orlando, Wonderworks. it's a blast.

peter, I have 2 bros and 6 sis's. the bros never have drama and the sis's always do. i've got around 25 nieces and nephews and can't keep them straight except for the fact that if there is gossip about one it is invariably one the sis's. i hate to make generalizations but, the bros are transparent and the gals opaque. at family gatherings i generally stick to something like 'look how tall your boy is now!', 'Does she still play volleyball these days?', 'She looks just like you. You do know cloning is illegal, right?', 'Are you looking at any schools for next year?'.

MM, I saw that Beech Grove High School took a hit. JiB, will do. HR (my wife) criticized my actions stongly in the after action Counseling Session were I was forced to admit I had failed to adhere to established policy. My excuse was 'I felt I had to put eyes on it but realize my error and promise to do better going forward.'

--long post warning-- Hey Miss Marple, My daughter 'snuck' down to Ellettsville from Chicago to surprise me for my combo bday/fathers day on Sunday. I say 'snuck' because I sniffed out the surprise a couple of days prior. She did surprise me a bit by dragging the boyfriend down as well. Even more surprising, his parents came down too and got a hotel room as they weren't wanting to get left out of the weekend festivities. Anyway, as we've talked about before I don't actually live in Bloomington but reside 7 miles to the west in Ellettsville. On Saturday we were having a cookout at my house. Weather was pretty lousy but it broke about 5:00 PM, so we broke out the cornhole boards and some adult libations and were having a good time. I had to break away from the festivities to start the grilling and was soon revelling in the manly art with steaks, shrimp and chicken on the grates. Well... it wasn't quite as manly as I'd have preferred as the weather had forced me to use gas instead of charcoal but, things were still going pretty well. Then the klaxons started sounding. I stepped into the house to check the tv and channel 8 was in full 'Storm Team 8 weather emergency mode'. A tornado warning for Ellettsville was in effect and channel 8 said they had reports of a tornado between Spencer and Ellettsville. At that moment the power went out. I thought 'Oh shit!' I ran out to the front yard where a very light sprinkle and angry clouds to the west greeted me. I couldn't see over a line of trees and started to make my way into the road for a better vantage point as one of my dinner guests was standing on the front porch saying 'Get in here you fool!' At that moment a tornado appeared spinning lackadasically thru the sky. It was probably a good half mile from me but it looked like it was in my neighbors back yard. I yelled at my guest 'Tell my wife to clear out the closets and get the kids in it!' It was the first time in the 16 years I've live in this house that I really, really wished I had a basement. I can't here because about 6 feet down is where the limestone starts. I moved a little further out so I could get a sense of it's bearing and then cognizant that I was standing in a flat space and a good target for a lightening strike beat feet for the house and told everyone I thought we were in good shape but we'd wait for the klaxons to die. Remembered the steaks, shrimp and chicken and ran out to kill the gas. 10 minutes later it was all over. Lost some branches but that was all I lost. Even the steaks were saved. We got out the weather radio, cranked it up and got the all clear and then had fired up every candle in the house and had a lovely candle light dinner. The tornado destoryed some buildings about a mile immediately southwest of me and damaged or destroyed about 30 homes about a mile immediately northwest. I've seen tornadoes before but never that close. We had great time late into the night without power playing Pictionary and some trivia game by candlelight. I woke up about 6:30 AM the next morning still without power and thought 'That means no coffee. Screw this.' and went back to sleep. Woke back up at 8 AM still without power and thought 'I gotta have coffee!'. Took a ten minute trip to McDonald's to grab four coffees. Bad move as everyone else in Ellettsville had come up with the same genius ideal. Finally making it outta the parking lot about 9:10 AM I made my way back home. Driving thru my neighborhood I noticed outside lights on at various houses and arrived at my house to find everyone sitting around watching 'Storm Team 8' recount the storm damage on TV. An hour later we were all at the Village Deli in Bloomington waiting on a table for Sunday breakfast. I don't think I'll ever call it the greatest Bday and Father's Day ever but, it was surely memorable and one I'll never forget.

al qaeda would need the means to deliver limpet mines, an underwater vehicle of some sorts as well as trained individuals to man the vehicle, attach the mines and then make it out. requires the manufacture of the vehicle, a place to base it from and the ability to train a crew. that's a pretty complicated operation and I'm inclined to believe only a state actor could pull it off. could be otherwise though.

The first attacks occurred in port. Attach them with a timer, make your escape and boom. The second attacks (today) were attached in port just like the first attack. Instead of timers you use a turbine that calculates the movement of the ships when they hit the straits. That's old timey though and maybe they used GPS. Regardless, someone is demonstrating a technical capability. Think Iranians.

I think they are running in frogmen on minisubs and attaching limpets. No need for an aircraft to fire an ASM. No need for a surface craft to fire a torpedo or ASM. You can ratchet shit up and no one can pin you for it.

"Where the hell are our minesweepers?" The buzz is these were limpet mines. Think frogmen attaching magnetic mines to the hull of a ship. They can be fitted with timers or turbines that make them explode after a certain time or distance after attached to the hull. You'd need a lot of operational infrastructure and personnel (think minisubs and frogmem...) to pull it off. Thus the speculation that it'd require a 'state actor' to pull it off. Would be a modern day incarnation of Decima Flottiglia MAS. Iranians to be sure.