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Monday, Monday...

By The Armorer on August 1, 2005 | | Comments (18) | TrackBacks (2)

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia is dead. Aside from Franco-style Saturday Night Live jokes, I wonder if that means anything in the fight? Like, will the jihadis come forth in Saudi Arabia and make themselves available for lead poisoning? Whuff. Of course, if they come out into the open and *win*... we may find out, over time, what *is* on the target lists.

Finally. *Someone* is fighting the war on new fronts.

Some of you have been interested in anti-sniper tech - Strategy Page has an update on the Canadian-built (and used) Ferret system.

Some interesting footnotes in history today...

Here is one for the Castle's loyal Swiss reader, Origen: 1291 Everlasting League formed, basis of the Swiss Confederation. Yet *another* example of why the people should be disarmed, so as not to disturb the powerful in their sleep. William Tell.

1619 First black slaves landed at Jamestown, Virginia. Damned Dutch and Spanish, anyway.

1794 Whiskey Rebellion begins. Several Castle Readers and Blog Buds could probably empathize... at least for using Whiskey as an excuse to rebel...

1834 Slavery abolished in the British Empire. In cosmic terms, it really didn't take us much longer... but it sure was a lot harder.

1914 German Emperor Wilhelm II declares war on his nephew Tsar Nicholas II. The really unrecoverable die is cast. Soon, the Guns of August will be roaring.

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1936 Adolph Hitler opens the 11th Olympic Games in Berlin. Go Jesse!

1940 Soviets occupy Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. The Iron Curtain falls across the Baltic Republics (the brief interlude of German occupation isn't really a bright spot...)

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1943 Blackett Str: "Tokyo Express" to Kolombangara tangles with 15 PT-boats. JFK's PT-109 rammed & sunk by HIJMS Amagiri. Can you imagine, in today's political climate, what the political fringes would do with the PT109 story?



1944 LTG George S. Patton's Third Army begins 281 days of operations.

Before we move on from WWII - let's let Don Surber give us a little peek at some WWII revisionist history... This will just tear at your heart, I'm sure.

'After he was arrested, I never saw him again' "

Who's speaking there? Someone with relatives who ended up in Auschwitz? Nope. A Nanking Chinese? Nope. Tojo's grand-daughter. Yep.


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1958 USS Nautilus attains "90 North". That would be the North Pole for anyone confused by that.

1966 Britain disbands the Colonial Office - the Empire is over. Well, until it reforms again in the prequel, Attack of the Clones... oh, wait - sorry - clash of culutural referents! The Colonial Office didn't last all that long, in terms of British History... but I *do* like this characterization of the founding:

The position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increasingly troublesome North American colonies.

That's us!

1966 UT Austin Massacre: Charles Whitman kills 13 people, wounds 31. Okay, the clock is ticking for the associated cultural referent. Who will be the first...

And here in Kansas City, a$$holes do vex us.

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Al-Jazeera's New Hero: Tojo from Don Surber on August 1, 2005 8:46 AM

Thank you for the link, John at Arrgghh!. May your tribe increase. Read More

Ferrets & Snipers from MatthewMaynard.net on August 1, 2005 8:48 AM

Via The Donovan comes this story about ferrets of some sort being used against enemy snipers. I wonder if Cowboy Blob is amused or confused. I was both, momentarily. ... Read More

18 Comments

By Jay on August 1, 2005 8:08 AM
Good line up of links. I'm curious to see how the Saudi King's death plays out on the world scene and this war.
 
By Barb on August 1, 2005 8:17 AM
Thanks for the round-up. I visited Groton several years ago, and walked through the Nautilus. A kewl piece of history.
 
By BloodSpite on August 1, 2005 8:31 AM
Will be intresting to see if Saudi's foreign policy changes any. I realise Aziz has been the de facto ruler for a while, but de facto and actual can be a bit different with no one watching over your shoulder
 
By don surber on August 1, 2005 8:42 AM
Thanks for the link!
 
By RICK on August 1, 2005 9:38 AM
That would have to be Lee Ermy in Full Metal Jacket. "what a motivated Marine and his rifle can do" (approx).
 
By eddie g on August 1, 2005 10:07 AM
Speaking of Patton and strategy page, check this out. [right-click here, open as a new window] I was literally laughing out loud!
 
By John of Argghhh! on August 1, 2005 10:16 AM
Rick - it wasn't Ermey I was looking for, in that I was looking for the aspect of the Marines using Whitman and Oswald as examples of Marine marksmanship training... but while you didn't get there from the path I was looking for - you got there!
 
By The Thomas on August 1, 2005 11:19 AM
It may just be me, but isn't that Lt Kerry sitting just to Jack's right in the PT 109 picture. Nah. Must be somebody else.
 
By John of Argghhh! on August 1, 2005 11:22 AM
Heh. Eddie and Thomas - you are baaad men! Wargamers should click on Eddie's link!
 
By Blake Kirk on August 1, 2005 12:35 PM
This probably ISN'T the referent you were thinking of, but I was just reminded of The Ballad of Charles Whitman, by Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, who were possibly the strangest country-rock band to ever come out of Austin, Texas. I mean, how can you go wrong with lyrics like: "There was rumor, of a tumor, hidden at the bottom of his brain."
 
By John of Argghhh! on August 1, 2005 12:43 PM
You're right, Blake. That sure wasn't. A whole little bit of Americana that had slipped under the Argghhh! radar...
 
By kat-missouri on August 1, 2005 2:13 PM
Well...we do seem to have a lot of a$$holes around here lately. I mean, that 34 year old guy and his 24 year old "step son" that beat up some 12 year old over alleged stolen handle bars on a bicycle and then drives buy unloading 150 shots from a semi auto rifle on the family home with children around? John...I am thinking that we need some "community policing" around here big time. Everyday is reporting another gang/drug related shooting including executions and drive bys. You know, we've always had some, but this year is looking to be the worst yet and moving quickly to the "worst ever" category. And we're talking about building an arena downtown, not improving the police departments which have always been under paid and under supported here. oopppsss! I feel a rant for the blog coming on.
 
By Boquisucio on August 1, 2005 5:34 PM
On the New Front on the GWOT, it's funny to see that the ex-terrorist site http://www.mojihedun.com/, now sports THIS Video Clip. Great piece of Psy-ops work.
 
By don surber on August 1, 2005 5:59 PM
Being of Swiss descent and living in West Virginia, I notice that William Tell and teh Whiskey Rebellion share a lot in common: City folk trying to tell us mountainfolk what to do
 
By Cricket on August 1, 2005 10:25 PM
Liked the links. You think Osama might try to come back to Saudi Arabia now that there is a new king? About Tojo: am I supposed to feel pity for his family? Defensive position? We imposed sanctions on the Japanese to deny them the raw materials for their war in China. And we are the bad guy? What on earth does China have that Japan doesn't? Land? Yep. Does Al Jazeera accuse US of empire building, when Japan was guilty of the same thing way back in the 30s? The mind boggles. But like they say, politics makes strange bedfellows.
 
By Cricket on August 1, 2005 10:39 PM
Charles Whitman murders? Are we comparing the shootings at Columbine? The ignorance of the family and parents as to what their kids were doing or what drove them to do it? Or did I miss the mark?
   
By Justthisguy on August 3, 2005 9:40 PM
Oh, yeah, Whitman. There was a movie, "The Deadly Tower", made about that, with a rather annoying anti-gun bias. Kinda innocent they were in those days, though. No SWAT teams, no armed helicopters, just armed citizens keeping his head down and distracted while a citizen volunteer and an Austin cop went up and took care of business. When I was in Austin back in '92 I took the tour of the campus. The gel who guided us couldn't answer my questions about just what weapons Whitman used. You'd think that would be a good tour-guide talking point.
 
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