July 15, 2007
"The Sun Also Sets"
Rand Simberg proves that Hemmingway's talent came not from his id, but something in the water in Key West.
Or perhaps Rand is just suffering from sunburn and encephalitis.
Or perhaps Rand is just suffering from sunburn and encephalitis.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
07:48 PM
| No Comments
| Add Comment
Post contains 33 words, total size 1 kb.
July 14, 2007
Happy Bastille Day
A very special holiday message from Brickmuppet Blog!
It's Bastille Day everybody!
Jerry Pournelle:
On July 14 I usually write an exposition on just what
happened on Bastille Day seven prisoners, all aristocrats, were
liberated. Four forgers, two madmen, and a young man who had
challenged the best swordsman in Paris to a duel, and had been
locked up by the king at the request of the lad's father. The
forgers vanished. The madmen were put into the common madhouse.
The young aristocrat took a revolutionary name, joined the
liberation forces, and was later beheaded during the Terror. The
garrison of the Bastille consisted of retired soldiers, many of
them missing limbs, and were as much waiters and attendants as
guards, since the Bastille contained only aristocrats who were
confined in relative comfort. The garrison was slaughtered and
their heads put on pikes.
The Revolution brought in a new vision of man and government.
Before it was over, French armies had ended the Venetian
Republic, the oldest republic in history. The Revolution ended
when Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, failed to
incorporate all of Europe into a new Empire. Revolutions often
have unintended consequences. Few people seem to learn anything
other than "Next time for sure."
Of course many important things came from the French Revolution...but as today is Bastille Day we'll focus only the positive....
.........Oh yeah....the metric system!
Well that was short.
Here is a view from Europe by the late Eric von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, (who agrees with me about the metric system!)
Read the whole thing.
This concludes our special holiday presentation.
It's Bastille Day everybody!
Jerry Pournelle:
On July 14 I usually write an exposition on just what
happened on Bastille Day seven prisoners, all aristocrats, were
liberated. Four forgers, two madmen, and a young man who had
challenged the best swordsman in Paris to a duel, and had been
locked up by the king at the request of the lad's father. The
forgers vanished. The madmen were put into the common madhouse.
The young aristocrat took a revolutionary name, joined the
liberation forces, and was later beheaded during the Terror. The
garrison of the Bastille consisted of retired soldiers, many of
them missing limbs, and were as much waiters and attendants as
guards, since the Bastille contained only aristocrats who were
confined in relative comfort. The garrison was slaughtered and
their heads put on pikes.
The Revolution brought in a new vision of man and government.
Before it was over, French armies had ended the Venetian
Republic, the oldest republic in history. The Revolution ended
when Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, failed to
incorporate all of Europe into a new Empire. Revolutions often
have unintended consequences. Few people seem to learn anything
other than "Next time for sure."
Of course many important things came from the French Revolution...but as today is Bastille Day we'll focus only the positive....
.........Oh yeah....the metric system!
Well that was short.
Here is a view from Europe by the late Eric von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, (who agrees with me about the metric system!)
Read the whole thing.
This concludes our special holiday presentation.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
06:37 PM
| No Comments
| Add Comment
Post contains 270 words, total size 5 kb.
LCS and Its Progeny
EagleSpeak links to this sobering take on the current woes with the Littoral Combat Ship.
The cost overruns of the LCS eat at the raison d’être of the whole program, a light cheap fast (expendable) combatant. Note though that the LCS is still vastly cheaper than it's big brother, the DD1000.
The DD 1000 is the size of a small Battleship* and cost about as much as a BB would. Yet these vessels are being pitched as destroyers, and their vapourware half sisters, the CG21,are to replace the DDs and CGs in the escort role....apparently by replacing the big guns with missile tubes and adding a better air defense system...which promises to push the cost up even higher.
The LCS is cheap for a destroyer, but has the armament of an OPV. It has all sorts of potential for improvement by adding various modules, but none of these give it any area defense capability, or any capability for surface combat beyond the 30 click range of the as yet non-operational NLOS missiles. With their big flex deck, impressive helicopter capability and good seakeeping they might make useful auxiliaries but they are an insanely expensive solution to all the problems they are intended to tackle and little more than toothless coffins for their crews in a hot war.
In response to this, as I pointed out on the old blog in April, there is an upgraded design being offered by General Dynamics see here , here and here.
One would assume that similar options would be available for the currently defunct LockMart design. One would be right.
This part time Coasties suggestion?
Scrap DD1000.
For fire support use ATACMS fired from VLS tubes, and develop the POLAR missile...a ship based derivative of the off the shelf MLRS system that the Navy rejected in the 90s. (but give it the unitary warhead of the current GMLRS). Buy something in the class of these 2 designs as replacements. Get ferocious about cost discipline. Buy as many of them as possible.Most importantly, buy enough modules, particularly ASW modules, that the ships really are multi mission. Numbers are what the navy needs...but it needs numbers of vessels that can take care of themselves. This strikes me as a far better compromise than the high-low mix as the low end vessels tempt the congresscritters to count them as full on units.
*The USNs first Dreadnoughts, the South Carolina and Michigan were 16,000 tons.
The cost overruns of the LCS eat at the raison d’être of the whole program, a light cheap fast (expendable) combatant. Note though that the LCS is still vastly cheaper than it's big brother, the DD1000.
The DD 1000 is the size of a small Battleship* and cost about as much as a BB would. Yet these vessels are being pitched as destroyers, and their vapourware half sisters, the CG21,are to replace the DDs and CGs in the escort role....apparently by replacing the big guns with missile tubes and adding a better air defense system...which promises to push the cost up even higher.
The LCS is cheap for a destroyer, but has the armament of an OPV. It has all sorts of potential for improvement by adding various modules, but none of these give it any area defense capability, or any capability for surface combat beyond the 30 click range of the as yet non-operational NLOS missiles. With their big flex deck, impressive helicopter capability and good seakeeping they might make useful auxiliaries but they are an insanely expensive solution to all the problems they are intended to tackle and little more than toothless coffins for their crews in a hot war.
In response to this, as I pointed out on the old blog in April, there is an upgraded design being offered by General Dynamics see here , here and here.
One would assume that similar options would be available for the currently defunct LockMart design. One would be right.
This part time Coasties suggestion?
Scrap DD1000.
For fire support use ATACMS fired from VLS tubes, and develop the POLAR missile...a ship based derivative of the off the shelf MLRS system that the Navy rejected in the 90s. (but give it the unitary warhead of the current GMLRS). Buy something in the class of these 2 designs as replacements. Get ferocious about cost discipline. Buy as many of them as possible.Most importantly, buy enough modules, particularly ASW modules, that the ships really are multi mission. Numbers are what the navy needs...but it needs numbers of vessels that can take care of themselves. This strikes me as a far better compromise than the high-low mix as the low end vessels tempt the congresscritters to count them as full on units.
*The USNs first Dreadnoughts, the South Carolina and Michigan were 16,000 tons.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
05:07 PM
| No Comments
| Add Comment
Post contains 411 words, total size 4 kb.
Makeover
Astro has revamped his site. Go check him out!
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
03:34 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 10 words, total size 1 kb.
Important Fashion Advice
What NOT to wear to your mugshot.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
03:31 PM
| No Comments
| Add Comment
Post contains 10 words, total size 1 kb.
Discuss...
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
03:18 PM
| Comments (2)
| Add Comment
Post contains 1 words, total size 1 kb.
Fireworks Carnies and Samurai...Oh My!
Don has a nice post on Oh! Edo Rocket!, which I've mentioned in passing before.
My observations, having seen just 2 eps pretty much jive with his. That is, the show is cool.
The weird amalgamation of seemingly incompatible character designs is, distracting to some. Aside from the odd Matsumoto show I haven't really seen design variations in a show this extreme in nearly 20 years.
This show is fun but not really fluff, the villains we've met are actually scary, and there is the cool bit about it being based around actual historical events. (It's almost certainly occurring in 1840s during one of the later crackdown on "luxuries" ). The protagonists are a bunch of carnival types put out of work by the sudden illegality of their trade.
They've combined October Sky, Freaks, Kolchack :The Night Stalker and any number of martial arts shows...(some of my favorite things )and made a cartoon out of them. I am going to HAVE to watch this show...after all it's target demographic is....me.
Update: Don also has a videoblog now....which includes amongst other things...The Abacus Dance.
My observations, having seen just 2 eps pretty much jive with his. That is, the show is cool.
The weird amalgamation of seemingly incompatible character designs is, distracting to some. Aside from the odd Matsumoto show I haven't really seen design variations in a show this extreme in nearly 20 years.
This show is fun but not really fluff, the villains we've met are actually scary, and there is the cool bit about it being based around actual historical events. (It's almost certainly occurring in 1840s during one of the later crackdown on "luxuries" ). The protagonists are a bunch of carnival types put out of work by the sudden illegality of their trade.
They've combined October Sky, Freaks, Kolchack :The Night Stalker and any number of martial arts shows...(some of my favorite things )and made a cartoon out of them. I am going to HAVE to watch this show...after all it's target demographic is....me.
Update: Don also has a videoblog now....which includes amongst other things...The Abacus Dance.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
02:31 PM
| No Comments
| Add Comment
Post contains 188 words, total size 2 kb.
Scarecrows of the Navy?
Over at Warships 1, someone in this thread noticed something odd on the foredeck of the USS Elrod. 
It looks like (and the consensus of opinion seems to be that it is) a fake gun mount intended to deter maritime brigands.
While the Perrys have lost virtually ALL of their hot war punch with the removal of the MK 13 missile launchers, they still possess both a MK 75 76mm gun and an improved Phalanx upgraded to improve its effectiveness against surface targets. The ship is quite capable of dealing with pirates and such...of course neither the phalanx nor the 3inch gun look particularly fierce to an untrained eye, and at any rate the ship seems to have no weapons bearing forward aside from small arms and, perhaps .50 caliber weapons on the bridge wings.
So what IS this thing, a dummy gun to deter attackers, or an actual weapon like a 25-30mm cannon?
It certainly looks fake.
(Note: At time of posting there is a much better high res picture in the linked thread...)
As an aside, the USCG's 378' High endurance cutters now have the same fixed armament and have it better positioned, comparable range and speed, twin screws, better maneuverability and a shallower draft....and despite being twice as old with old and hard to maintain equipment, require a crew of 168 vs 300 . The Perrys certainly have better EW equipment, 2 vice 1 helicopters and their ASW tubes are still fitted, but it is hard to avoid thinking that the Coast Guard, with something similar to the 378's would be better (and more economical) to use on antipiracy duties.
Of course....we'd need to not have our new-builds be lemons first.
Perhaps we should just build more of the 'white needles of death' with updated systems (you know...systems still in production).
Anyway, does anyone have any contradictory ideas on the "dummy gun"?
It looks like (and the consensus of opinion seems to be that it is) a fake gun mount intended to deter maritime brigands.
While the Perrys have lost virtually ALL of their hot war punch with the removal of the MK 13 missile launchers, they still possess both a MK 75 76mm gun and an improved Phalanx upgraded to improve its effectiveness against surface targets. The ship is quite capable of dealing with pirates and such...of course neither the phalanx nor the 3inch gun look particularly fierce to an untrained eye, and at any rate the ship seems to have no weapons bearing forward aside from small arms and, perhaps .50 caliber weapons on the bridge wings.
So what IS this thing, a dummy gun to deter attackers, or an actual weapon like a 25-30mm cannon?
It certainly looks fake.
(Note: At time of posting there is a much better high res picture in the linked thread...)
As an aside, the USCG's 378' High endurance cutters now have the same fixed armament and have it better positioned, comparable range and speed, twin screws, better maneuverability and a shallower draft....and despite being twice as old with old and hard to maintain equipment, require a crew of 168 vs 300 . The Perrys certainly have better EW equipment, 2 vice 1 helicopters and their ASW tubes are still fitted, but it is hard to avoid thinking that the Coast Guard, with something similar to the 378's would be better (and more economical) to use on antipiracy duties.
Of course....we'd need to not have our new-builds be lemons first.
Perhaps we should just build more of the 'white needles of death' with updated systems (you know...systems still in production).
Anyway, does anyone have any contradictory ideas on the "dummy gun"?
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
01:24 PM
| No Comments
| Add Comment
Post contains 319 words, total size 3 kb.
Qustions Answered
Via Jerry Pournelle:
ORIGIN OF TERM "BLOG"
ORIGIN OF TERM "BLOG"
You had asked how a published diary on the Internet (World
Wide Web) came to be called a "blog".
BLOG was one of the protocols built upon IP (such as TCP,
UDP). It was an acronym for "Brilliant Literature / Obnoxious Grunting". There
was a certain amount of punning involved, since it could be used as a verb to
describe singular and plural-voiced publication (iBLOG and weBLOG).
Some claim it was also derived from the old Kiltiberian
blaugh (pronounced "blaugh") meaning compulsive chatter. Our modern terms
"blather" and "blah blah blah" descend from that root; possibly "blarney" does
also. The content of the typical blog displays a distinctive and memorable level
of taste - reminiscent of Sturgeon - suggesting this family of terms should
include "blah" and "bleah".
-- Bill Kilner
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
12:25 PM
| No Comments
| Add Comment
Post contains 140 words, total size 2 kb.
July 13, 2007
"We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area."
The UK Government vehemently denies....
well...
you read the post title.
The inhabitants of the Iraqi port city of Basra are in stark mortal terror of giant man eating badgers that they are blaming on the British Army.
The BBC covers the plague of badgers here, pointing out that....
Dr Ghazi Yaqub Azzam, deputy dean of Basra's veterinary college, speculated that the badgers were being driven towards the city because of flooding in marshland north of Basra.
The badgers are an indigenous species known as the "honey badger".
So there you have it!
There is nothing to see here...just chuckle and move along...don't think anything of it and pay no attention to the impolitic analysis below the fold....
more...
well...
you read the post title.
The inhabitants of the Iraqi port city of Basra are in stark mortal terror of giant man eating badgers that they are blaming on the British Army.
The BBC covers the plague of badgers here, pointing out that....
Dr Ghazi Yaqub Azzam, deputy dean of Basra's veterinary college, speculated that the badgers were being driven towards the city because of flooding in marshland north of Basra.
The badgers are an indigenous species known as the "honey badger".
So there you have it!
There is nothing to see here...just chuckle and move along...don't think anything of it and pay no attention to the impolitic analysis below the fold....
more...
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
01:44 AM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 376 words, total size 4 kb.
July 11, 2007
Woot!
My passport came in today!
The only thing standing between me leaving for Japan August 1 is a catastrophe or a reserve call up....
But one should not dwell on such things....
The only thing standing between me leaving for Japan August 1 is a catastrophe or a reserve call up....
But one should not dwell on such things....
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
10:21 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 33 words, total size 1 kb.
Catsploitation
I've been waiting for a good catsploitation flick.....
...while this doesn't actually look to be "good"...It does have the potential to be gloriously bad,
...while this doesn't actually look to be "good"...It does have the potential to be gloriously bad,
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
09:16 PM
| Comments (2)
| Add Comment
Post contains 26 words, total size 1 kb.
July 10, 2007
Kudzu No More
Via Colleen Doran comes the unhappy news that Doug Marlette, creator of the syndicated strip Kudzu, has died in an auto accident.
In addition to Kudzu, Marlette was a Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist as well.
In addition to Kudzu, Marlette was a Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist as well.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
10:28 PM
| No Comments
| Add Comment
Post contains 39 words, total size 1 kb.
More Truths That Must Not Be Spoken
Via Rand Simberg:
10 politically incorrect truths about human nature.
Reaction from the College of Arts and Letters in 3...2...1...
Ouch...
10 politically incorrect truths about human nature.
Reaction from the College of Arts and Letters in 3...2...1...
Ouch...
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
10:03 PM
| No Comments
| Add Comment
Post contains 28 words, total size 1 kb.
July 08, 2007
Dead Birds,Overgrown Lawns, Redneck Sarin, Stupid People + Toilets
more...
more...
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
07:20 AM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 852 words, total size 6 kb.
Crazy Korean AzuManga Fan is...Crazy
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
06:38 AM
| Comments (4)
| Add Comment
Post contains 5 words, total size 1 kb.
Guilty Pleasure...So Much Guilt Needs More Pleasure
I just found out via Ubu's site that Stephen Den Beste is ordering Godannar...I can't help but blame myself. I was remiss in my blogging duties, I did not warn him.
Rather than struggle with explaining the rather complex setup I'll rely on ADV's own ad, which, to their credit is one of the best, most honest, series trailers ever.
More below the fold....
more...
Rather than struggle with explaining the rather complex setup I'll rely on ADV's own ad, which, to their credit is one of the best, most honest, series trailers ever.
More below the fold....
more...
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
04:21 AM
| Comments (3)
| Add Comment
Post contains 698 words, total size 9 kb.
July 06, 2007
Browser Issues.
The pictures on this blog don't seem to be visible with AOL or Internet Explorer
Firefox works fine at the moment.
According to Wonderduck this issue began sometime on the 4th.
Feh...
Firefox works fine at the moment.
According to Wonderduck this issue began sometime on the 4th.
Feh...
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
08:39 PM
| Comments (7)
| Add Comment
Post contains 34 words, total size 1 kb.
July 02, 2007
Eugene Bennett Fluckey 1913-2007
From the Warships 1 Discussion Boards.
Rear Admiral Eugene Bennett Fluckey has passed away. He was one of the most decorated US submariners of WW2 and won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his courage in attacking a Japanese munitions convoy with a submarine in water only 30 feet deep.
Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy, Commanding U.S.S. Barb. Place and date: Along coast of China, 19 December 1944 to 15 February 1945. Entered service at: Illinois. Born: 5 October 1913, Washington, D.C. Other Navy award: Navy Cross with 3 Gold Stars. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Barb during her 11th war patrol along the east coast of China from 19 December 1944 to 15 February 1945. After sinking a large enemy ammunition ship and damaging additional tonnage during a running 2-hour night battle on 8 January, Comdr. Fluckey, in an exceptional feat of brilliant deduction and bold tracking on 25 January, located a concentration of more than 30 enemy ships in the lower reaches of Nankuan Chiang (Mamkwan Harbor). Fully aware that a safe retirement would necessitate an hour's run at full speed through the uncharted, mined, and rock-obstructed waters, he bravely ordered, "Battle station--torpedoes!" In a daring penetration of the heavy enemy screen, and riding in 5 fathoms of water, he launched the Barb's last forward torpedoes at 3,000-yard range. Quickly bringing the ship's stern tubes to bear, he turned loose 4 more torpedoes into the enemy, obtaining 8 direct hits on 6 of the main targets to explode a large ammunition ship and cause inestimable damage by the resultant flying shells and other pyrotechnics. Clearing the treacherous area at high speed, he brought the Barb through to safety and 4 days later sank a large Japanese freighter to complete a record of heroic combat achievement, reflecting the highest credit upon Comdr. Fluckey, his gallant officers and men, and the U.S. Naval Service.
As commander U.S.S. Barb he took a ship with a mediocre war record and made it one of the most decorated of all US Submarines. In just under 2 years under his command, the ship sank more tonnage than any other submarine, over 80 enemy ships including a cruiser, a destroyer and a carrier! On his own initiative he put a a landing party on Karafuto (now Sakhalin Island), which destroyed a railroad bridge and a train. (This was the ONLY US amphibious assault on the home islands and it was accomplished without loss!) The Barb was (unsurprisingly) the only US submarine to have a train on her battle flag.
See there...at the bottom center...
Fluckey also earned 4 Navy Crosses, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and numerous other awards, which made him one of the most decorated American servicemen of all time. He retired in 1972 a Rear Admiral, having served in several highly important positions after the war, including head of Naval Intelligence.
Update: Much more at Eaglespeak
Rear Admiral Eugene Bennett Fluckey has passed away. He was one of the most decorated US submariners of WW2 and won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his courage in attacking a Japanese munitions convoy with a submarine in water only 30 feet deep.
Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy, Commanding U.S.S. Barb. Place and date: Along coast of China, 19 December 1944 to 15 February 1945. Entered service at: Illinois. Born: 5 October 1913, Washington, D.C. Other Navy award: Navy Cross with 3 Gold Stars. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Barb during her 11th war patrol along the east coast of China from 19 December 1944 to 15 February 1945. After sinking a large enemy ammunition ship and damaging additional tonnage during a running 2-hour night battle on 8 January, Comdr. Fluckey, in an exceptional feat of brilliant deduction and bold tracking on 25 January, located a concentration of more than 30 enemy ships in the lower reaches of Nankuan Chiang (Mamkwan Harbor). Fully aware that a safe retirement would necessitate an hour's run at full speed through the uncharted, mined, and rock-obstructed waters, he bravely ordered, "Battle station--torpedoes!" In a daring penetration of the heavy enemy screen, and riding in 5 fathoms of water, he launched the Barb's last forward torpedoes at 3,000-yard range. Quickly bringing the ship's stern tubes to bear, he turned loose 4 more torpedoes into the enemy, obtaining 8 direct hits on 6 of the main targets to explode a large ammunition ship and cause inestimable damage by the resultant flying shells and other pyrotechnics. Clearing the treacherous area at high speed, he brought the Barb through to safety and 4 days later sank a large Japanese freighter to complete a record of heroic combat achievement, reflecting the highest credit upon Comdr. Fluckey, his gallant officers and men, and the U.S. Naval Service.
As commander U.S.S. Barb he took a ship with a mediocre war record and made it one of the most decorated of all US Submarines. In just under 2 years under his command, the ship sank more tonnage than any other submarine, over 80 enemy ships including a cruiser, a destroyer and a carrier! On his own initiative he put a a landing party on Karafuto (now Sakhalin Island), which destroyed a railroad bridge and a train. (This was the ONLY US amphibious assault on the home islands and it was accomplished without loss!) The Barb was (unsurprisingly) the only US submarine to have a train on her battle flag.
See there...at the bottom center...
Fluckey also earned 4 Navy Crosses, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and numerous other awards, which made him one of the most decorated American servicemen of all time. He retired in 1972 a Rear Admiral, having served in several highly important positions after the war, including head of Naval Intelligence.
Update: Much more at Eaglespeak
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
08:30 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 513 words, total size 6 kb.
June 30, 2007
Genocide's OK if We Blame Someone Else...
Over at Winds of Change, Mark Danzinger has an excellent piece on the NYT's recent Op-Ed .
Ignoring for a moment the resulting bloodbath that the NYT glosses over, abandoning those we have sworn to protect is very very poor foreign policy.
That it is ethically reprehensible certainly seems irrelevant to the Times.
Ignoring for a moment the resulting bloodbath that the NYT glosses over, abandoning those we have sworn to protect is very very poor foreign policy.
That it is ethically reprehensible certainly seems irrelevant to the Times.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
11:41 PM
| No Comments
| Add Comment
Post contains 60 words, total size 1 kb.
85kb generated in CPU 0.0185, elapsed 0.0676 seconds.
35 queries taking 0.0536 seconds, 134 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.
35 queries taking 0.0536 seconds, 134 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.
