PN:
Pearl Harbor – December 7, 1941
Last Sunday was Pearl Harbor memorial observation. I spend a lot of time on the Internet. This year the tsunami of unrest in the media’s offerings drowned out the few and far between commemorations of the act that precipitated America’s declaration of war with the Axis. Each year that slips by takes with it more of the survivors of Japan’s error in judgement, their faulty calculus for victory. Survivors of World War II world wide are mostly gone, leaving people like me (1949) as the closest generation to those who fought, those who endured, those who witnessed. those who survived. For us post war babies the thought that the Axis could have won never crossed our young impressionable minds.
I didn’t rant about it last Sunday. I mention it this weekend to heighten awareness that Pearl Harbor along with so many events of World War I and II are fading into the generational fog of history. No one I know mentioned it at all to me on Sunday or during the week. C’est domage…..
Does this erosion of memorializing sooth humanity’s soul, or was Edmund Burke accurate in saying “those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it”?
Looking around the modern world it is a fact that life for an ever increasing number of people is better than ever known in the history of man. I suggest that those who do know history are numerous enough to keep the rest of us on an enlightened path to a better futurel. And to preserve those precious concepts of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor –
Automotive Hijinks in Droveria
Some weeks ago, I purchased what was left of an early ’90’s Ford diesel truck from Clay H. This old Ford had the misfortune of being in the right place at the wrong time and was literally torn apart by some really big bully excavator machines en route to being scrap metal. Roy H. bought the truck for his personal use, but the information didn’t reach the ears of the taker-apart crew in time to save it. This weekend, I unloaded it in the shop. Here it is on the gantry –
That makes 4 of the 7.3L IDI diesels and 4 of the 6.9L IDI diesels in my inventory. Don’t ask why I need 8 because I’ll tell all……………..
People familiar with my shop will notice the red ’83 Ranger is no longer in the building. It was there for so long I’d forgotten what it was like to work in the shop without hindrance. Maybe in the spring I’ll wheel it back in and finish it for once and for all. Meanwhile, it’s time to digest this engine and transmission. It was beaten up when the body and box were stripped from the frame. A couple of injectors were broken along with the fuel injection lines and a few other accessories on the engine. Minor considering the truck was literally torn apart by some very large aggressive tracked machines. Here’s young David S. celebrating the touchdown on the floor without grievous bodily harm to either of us. The damn thing with the frame, transmission, front differential, and transfer case must weigh close to 1 ton –
Reading List
I’m learning about history close to my heart in a book by Jim Goad titled “The Redneck Manifesto“. I’m only a few chapters in, but my world-view has been shaken. Already I’ve learned that the number of African slaves purchased for labor in the American South was eclipsed by the number of “indentured servants” (white slaves) brought to North America. These people were the unwanted in England and Germany – petty thieves, the extreme poor, the occupants of the gaols, the outcast. The documentation Mr. Goad references provides a disturbing picture of abuse, neglect, and death. Over 80% of indentured servants died before they reached the end of their term. Most who did live through it were betrayed in that the promise of land for service was almost universally reneged. These people were released from bondage with no capital, no land, and no prospects. History states that they were treated very poorly during their tenure – beating, rape, and murder are extreme examples. I will have more to say when I’ve finished the book. It does raise questions in my (and Joe’s) little pea brain…… about our own lineage.
My paternal family was in Newfoundland in the late 1700’s. They (William Drover and Mary Cox) came from Ringwood, England, located south west of London in Hampshire county. How did he come to the “New World”? Was he a convict? Was he “indentured”? Was he a “free man” who paid his own passage?
Life is hard and most lives have hardships. The history of “white privilege:” isn’t that privileged. More thoughts to follow……..
CANADA
The CBC is not on my top 10 list of entertainment, news, editorial, punditry or opinion sources. I never listen to the radio or the television version. The following article goes a long way in explaining the situation:
http://business.financialpost.com/2014/12/11/cbc-not-the-publics-broadcaster-after-all/
A quote (so many to choose which to choose?) from the above opinion –
“The result is a chorus of CBC reporters and producers affirming their assumed superiority by churning out a constant stream of intellectual bigotry that alienates its listeners. The latter are migrating in droves to the proliferation of media available on the Internet, beyond the captive audience that used to be delivered to the CBC by CRTC regulations.”
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Civil Unrest and “Racism”
The beat goes on. The roused rabid rabble riots across the land. I wonder what they’d do if times got REALLY tough? An interesting article about race from the Grouchy Old Cripple website:
http://grouchyoldcripple.com/category/uncategorized/
The man makes his points. The liberal / progressive mindset must someday come to terms with its contradictory stated position vs actions taken regarding minorities, especially blacks. They SAY there are no perceptible differences between the “races” that are significant, yet the programs they’ve sponsored assume blacks can’t stand on their own and accomplish what whites and asians are able to do. So what is it Bambi? I can’t think of anything that would have me rioting and burning down the businesses which are the heart of my community. To what end? As Chris Rock and Jim Goad and countless others have stated, these are the true “niggers”, whether they be white, red, black, brown, yellow or (pick from the rainbow).
Joe says the following annotated image is spot on, and I’m inclined to agree – it’s the culture, baby – even though it is undoubtedly “Photoshop” doctored –
Another article from Grumpy Old Cripple website titled “Conversation on Race”:
http://grouchyoldcripple.com/2014/12/conversation-on-race-2/
The embedded video in the above conversation is on track, and permissible because the author is black! Doesn’t that sound silly? His point is well taken: no one person can speak for all people but behavior is the source of stereotypes. Period.
Humor is still an option for white cracker redneck types like moi……
Here’s Chris Rock with his educational video “How not to get your ass kicked by the police”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR465HoCWFQ
I think this is the final juxtaposition re: Ferguson / “hands up don’t shoot” mindless agitators –
As one pundit commented “I’d prefer the monkeys: they don’t set fires”.
Economics 2011
A graphic of CBO numbers for the year 2011 –
NORTH KOREA (THE PEOPLE’S PARADISE)
Fun with Un Department
POLITICS, POLITICIANS, WACKJOBBERY, HUMOROUS, STUPID
The caption for the following is “The Stench of Inevitability” –
The new map of the United States
Is this Steam Punk or something newer? –
GUNS, GUNNERS, GUNNERY
The following three graphs come from an article at http://punditfromanotherplanet.com/2014/12/11/two-years-after-newton-more-americans-support-gun-rights-over-gun-control/#more-55532
This leads me to suspect the culture is self-healing when toppled / destabilized.
THE RELIGION OF PEACE (ON US ALL)
Bernard Lewis – “The Arabs are not the children of the desert but the fathers”.
In 2007 Islam and Judaism’s holiest holidays overlapped for 10 days.
Muslims racked up 397 dead bodies in 94 terror attacks across 10
countries during this time… while Jews worked on their 159th Nobel Prize.
SUNDAY SERMON
Today Alan Dershowitz gives a heated, passionate argument – “Faith vs Religion”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcxmf_kVRk0
WEATHER (OR NOT)
This week was melting, drizzling, grey, cloudy, melting, and inversion-inspired cold fog. Quite dismal. Short sun on Saturday and Sunday. Only 7 more days and it will be Winter!! My passion for winter has dwindled to a negative.
Joe (Shitty) Mekanic
p.s. Ramirez is my vitamin D
