daily timewaster

Friday, January 26, 2018

Now we know who truly has huevos of steel

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Time lapse of snow covering the quad at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, January 17/18th, 2018

Riots sweep India as film about legendary Hindu Queen and Muslim barbarian opens

A poignant relic from a time of true sacrifice.

Via the Feral Irishman, this Colt 1911, picked up during the Battle of the Bulge, shows severe damage from Nazi shrapnel.

The story:

Complete with U.S. Government and U.S. Army markings as well as a rampant Colt on the slide, the M1911A1 GI is serial number 883714, which Colt lists as belonging to a 1943-made gun, meaning the .45ACP likely had only a year or so service on it before that fateful day in the Ardennes.

MacMurray:

I hope the hero who died with this at his side went quickly.

This is so representative of what the heroes of WWII went through…. . Not only in the Pacific theatre, but the German front also.

This was Bastogne in 1944.

It’s in a friends private collection and it took some doing to be able to photograph it.

I was shaking when I handed it back.

“I took these photos today.. A gentleman I know was kind enough to allow me that privilege.

Often times we get so caught up in the gun we forget the sacrifices.

This one really brings it home.

It is believed that the this damage is from artillery fire.

This weapon was very likely holstered at the time, and the soldier was facing the explosion.

I can’t begin to tell you how powerful of a sentiment this raised in my heart to hold this”

I shared this in a few historical groups I belong to, so some of you have already seen this, but it’s just too powerful of an artifact not to share with the rest of you.

Today I held hell in my hands.

In all, the U.S. Army suffered more than 89,500 casualties in the six weeks of the Battle of the Bulge, making it one of the largest and bloodiest battles fought by the nation’s servicemen.

It's hard to lie like a Democrat when everyone can see the truth.

Chief Thomas K. Yallup, of Toppenish, Washington, chief of the Yakima Indian Tribal Council, visits his son, Cpl. Bill Yallup, who was in training with an army armored unit at the Yakima Firing Center. Cpl. Yallup's "iron horse," an M-48 tank, is one of several roaming the plains where once-proud Indian warriors rode fleet-footed steeds.

Put them back into production!

The Constellation Model-049 combined key virtues of high speed, reliable performance, passenger appeal, and sound operating economics. It was tested by Lockheed and the USAAF during the war and later became commercially available for postwar intercontinental travel.

President Trump predicts 'tremendous increase' in UK-US trade

He also said the US and UK were "joined at the hip" on military matters, while Mrs May said they stood "shoulder to shoulder" in facing shared threats.

In a series of warm exchanges in Davos, Switzerland, President Trump also told the UK PM: "We love your country."

He also rejected "false rumours" of differences, saying that the two leaders "like each other a lot".

Mrs. May replied that the "really special relationship" between the UK and US continued and they stood "shoulder to shoulder because we are facing the same challenges across the world".

"Alongside that working for a good trade relationship for the future which will be for both our benefits, so the UK and the US both do well out of this - and it's been great to see you today."

And Downing Street said later that they had asked officials to work on "finalising the details of a visit by the president to the UK later this year".

Meanwhile, relations in other, more personal ways, were heating up between the Yanks and the Brits. We're luring them into our trap with our women.

Given how legendary Obama's hatred for the British was, this has got to gall him immensely.

The chemistry between these two is just amazing. They need to have a bunch of little royals.

The first woman in space was Valentina Tereshkova

As any American school child would know, of course.

On June 16, 1963, she soared to the heavens with the Vostok 6 mission and orbited the Earth 48 times, spending almost three days in space. Fun fact: In order to join the Cosmonaut Corps, Tereshkova was inducted into the Soviet Air Force, but since the distinction was only honorary, she was the first civilian to fly in space. Two records, one trip.

Bonus fun fact: At the age of 77, Tereshkova said that she was ready to come out of retirement to go on a one-way trip to Mars, her favorite planet.

That might be Yuri Gagarin on the left, and Jeebus Luis, did Khrushchev have a rubbery bullet head, or what?

Who can name these giants (one apparently a literal giant)?

I laughed out loud when I saw this picture.

Good commentary on the Turkish adventure into Syria

It's Day 5 of Operation Olive Branch in Syrian Kurdistan. There have been no significant changes in the security situation in northern Syria, but Turkey began carrying out its threat to attack Manbij.

Turkish President Erdogan said he plans to "foil games along our borders starting from Manbij." He said that Turkey would "clean our region from this trouble completely.”

The Turks promise the 'mother of all wars' in Manbij since they had their asses handed to them in Afrin.

Check in often for the latest on the fun and games in the sandbox. At least this time, it's not us. As LL said, General Mattis is just sitting back, eating popcorn, and watching the show.