Time to add a new caveat, because from email it's not clear to some folks (mind you, if you don't read this it won't matter...) Being an open post, people (collectively, the Denizens) other than I post in the H&I. They sign their work (most of the time) - keep that in mind when you want to flame someone in email please - if it doesn't say "The Armorer" or "John" then I didn't write it! And honestly - if you don't like something said or posted... leave a comment, and hash it out (within the context of The Rulez which are clearly posted on the comment form, I would add).

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Princess Crabby reminds us:

A lot of folks can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage here in our country. ~~~ Well, there's a very simple answer. ~~~ Nobody bothered to check the oil. ~~~ We just didn't know we were getting low. ~~~ The reason for that is purely geographical. ~~~ Our OIL is located in ~~~ ALASKA ~~~ California ~~~ Coastal Florida ~~~ Coastal Louisiana ~~~ Kansas (Heck, they're even drilling two new wells on the property next door to the Castle) ~~~ Oklahoma ~~~ Pennsylvania and Texas ~~~ Our DIPSTICKS are located in Washington, DC!!! ~~~ Any Questions??? NO? Didn't think So.

And, in fact, there is a kernel of truth in there, given the role of Congress and the Executive have played in energy policy. -the Armorer

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Today in 1718, Mssr. James Puckle patents a gun. A mechanical machine gun. With a unique characteristic...

From the patent application:

16. The plate of the Chambers of the Gun for a ship shooting Square Bullet against Turks.
17. For Round Bullets against Christians.

So *that's* what we've been doing wrong... -the Armorer

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Also on this day, in 1862, Union Major General Benjamin Butler displayed *his* grasp of counter-insurgency...

"As the officers and soldiers of the United States have been subjected to repeated insults from the women (calling themselves ladies) of New Orleans, in return for the most scrupulous noninterference and courtesy on our part, it is ordered that hereafter when any female shall, by word, gesture, or movement, insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the United States, she shall be regarded and held liable to be treated as a woman of the town plying her avocation."

That action, among others, prompting this response from the leader of the insurgents. -the Armorer

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But the junk comment header was soooo promising! Redhead playing with boobs. I had visions of Lucille Ball and the 3 Stooges. Or HomefrontSix and Congress. Or Princess Crabby and some sailors... It wasn't. - the Armorer

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H.R. McMaster finally gets his star. And he shows it's not gonna slow him down, debuting in style. - FbL

Back in the day, when you could just kill people and break things without a note from a lawyer, they were pre-planned, but to the enemy, random, fires at known gathering points, road junctions, Main Supply Routes, assembly areas, etc - to keep the bad guy nervous that the world around him might start exploding at any minute.

Not really relevant to today's operating environment, right? But, it *is*

The UAVs we fly over Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for targets of opportunity are a form of H&I fires, if you really want to parse it finely. We just have better sensors and fire control now.

I call the post that because it's random things posted by me and people I've given posting privileges to that particular topic. Another term of art that might be appropriate is "Free Fire Zone".