Category: National Security

  • This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth

    This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth

    This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth.

    This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth.

    This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth.

    Do not tell Huma.

     

    “What in the hell is that?  A long, unidentifed, cigar shaped object in space?”  Director Abbaszhadeggadaddeghan asked.

    “That’s the best story we could come up with.  Honestly, we don’t really know what we’re dealing with.  It could just be a big rock.” His aide replied.

    “A room full of STEM majors and we have no better explanation for what is probably just a rock?  Why didn’t you just say it was a rock?”

    “We have reason to belive it is not a rock, sir.”

    “Who told you that?”  

    “I told him that.”

    Director Abbaszhadeggadaddeghan turned to see a man appear as if out of nowhere in the corner of his office.  He was wearing a cheap suit, typical of government types with a dingy white shirt and a black tie. He carried around a glass of what Abbaszhadeggadaddeghan assumed was whiskey with too much ice.  That is, it had ice in it.

    He was smoking profusely, and looked to be made out of poorly tanned leather wrapped loosely over a flabby body.  No explanation was given to how this lard ass got into the office without anybody noticing.

    “You see Achmed-in-ijad—“

    “Abbaszhadeggadaddeghan.  Director Abbaszhadeggadaddeghan.”  He interrupted.

    “Thats what I said.  Achmed-in-ijad.”

    “You said it wrong.”

    “You know what happened to the last diversity hire appointed as NASA Director, Achmed-in-ijad?  We found him in a puddle of puke and piss outside of Tijuana. Fun guy, but couldn’t handle his Russian hookers worth a damn.”  He took a drag of the cigarette. “I like you Achmed-in-ijad. I’d hate to see what the locals in Tampa will do to you. You may not eat pork, but let me tell you something—you taste like pork.”

    “What do you want?”  Abbaszhadeggadaddeghan asked.

    “I don’t really want anything but it was determined by my superiors it was time to let you know a bit of the story. But first a bit of background.”  He took a quick drink of this watered down whiskey and a long drag of the cigarette. He put it out on a ceramic icon on Abbaszhadeggadaddeghan’s desk.  He lit another cigarette. “In 1966, you were told Gemini 8 was stuck in an uncontrolllable spin, and—“

    “Because of the quick thinking of Neil Armstrong, Gemini 8 recovered from the spin, and landed safely back to Earth.”

    “You interrupt me again, I might take you to Tampa anyway.”  He said calmly. He took another long drag of the cigarette and with his free hand began to fondle his man breasts.  Abbaszhadeggadaddeghan couldn’t decide if he was sweating profusely under his jacket or lactating. Either way, his jacket was wet under the arms.  “Armstrong was thinking quick on his feet, but Gemini 8 was raped.”

    “Raped?”

    “You heard me.”

     

    This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth.

    This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth.

    This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth.

    Do not tell Huma.

     

    “This happened again in 1970, when the command module of Apollo 13 was raped six minutes after the crew filmed their public address.  That’s why it wasn’t aired to the public.” He took another drag of the cigarette and again put it out on the ceramic idol.  “And even the details of recent missions, you’ve been told are, simply put. Wrong.”

    The man walked closer to Abbaszhadeggadaddeghan.  Close enough for the smell of boiled leeks, bad whiskey, American Spirit lights, spoiled milk, fried okra and the distinctive stench of bad sex the morning after with a half drunken hangover, to invade Abbaszhadeggadaddeghan’s moist, delicate nasal passages.

    “Don’t wince at me because I smell like that broad you tagged, gagged and bagged back an MIT, Achmed-in-ijad.”  He composed himself, slightly adjusting his crotch.  “Just a few weeks ago, you thought, the Hubble Telescope was flipped off and on really fast to reset the onboard software.  NASA even put it out to the press because they thought it was funny.

    But it wasn’t funny for the ISS crew.” He pulled out a 1980s era tape recorder and firmly pressed play.

     

    This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth.

    This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth.

    This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth.

    Do not tell Huma.

     

    “EVA 1,  did you hit the unit?”

    “Roger that Houston.  Unit given a good hard kick.”

    “Roger that EVA 1, unit appears to have come back online.  Good work EVA 1”

    “Houston, we’re getting some kind of interference…you picking this up Houston? Some kind of transmission from a Smith?”

    “SPACE SMITH FIX FLYING METAL BALL!  BY FIX, MEAN RAPE”

    “Houston…”

    “SUPPORT WAZ COMPLETELY CONSENSUAL.  SPACE SMITH SEND YOU BILL FOR TECHNICAL SERVICES”

    “This is horrible.  Houston, do you copy?”

    “Ahhhhh. Who let this thing in the maintenance bay?”

    “SPACE SMITH NO COPY,  HIM HAVE ORIGINAL MOVES.  BY ORIGINAL MOVES…MEAN RAPE”

    “Houston, we are sealing off the maintenance bay.  Houston, do you copy?”

    “IN SPACE, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU RAPE”

    “Houston, maintenance bay breached!”

    “THAT NOT ALL THAT BE BREACH.  SPACE SMITH BREACH EVERYTHING HIM REACH”

    “Houston, we are initiating Soyuz escape pod checklist.”

    “SPACE SMITH RAPE SOYUZ LAST WEEK.  IT NO FLY”

     

    This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth.

    This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth.

    This transmission is identified as C as in wiped with a Cloth.

    Do not tell Huma.

     

    Abbaszhadeggadaddeghan’s blood ran cold.  

    “What is that object in space?”  He asked.

    “We don’t really know, Achmed-in-ijad.”  The man said before blowing smoke in his face.  “We just call it SPACE SMITH.”  He took one last drag.  “I can’t wait to see what he does to Elon Musk.”

  • Stone Wall and Sudley Ford: A photographic tour of Manassas Battlefield National Park

     
    I want to start off with a few mentions. First off, thanks to Yusef for the diorama posts. I wouldn’t have bothered writing this article without your articles showing the interest the glibertariat has in historic battles. Thanks also to straffinrun for encouraging me to snap some pics and linking the Mises podcast.

    The Mises podcast is absolutely kickass and worth a listen.

    Part 1
    Part 2

    Part 3
    Part 4

    Part 5
    Part 6

    I’ll preface the bulk of this article by saying that I’m no expert on the Civil War, and I may get some details wrong.

    Also, I highly recommend the following atlas if you are a civil war buff.

     

    Here’s a basic view of the area surrounding the battlefield:


     

    Now we zoom in to the battlefield.


     

    I annotated the map to include some of the important landmarks:

    From east to west between Henry Hill and Matthews Hill is the Warrenton turnpike. From north to south between Henry Hill and Chinns Ridge is Sudley Road.

    I spent all of my time on Henry Hill, as I had my 1 year old with me and didn’t want to cross US 29 (Warrenton Turnpike) with her to walk Matthews Hill. These images are all hi res, so you should be able to zoom in by clicking on the images. Edit: the site choked on my super hi res images, so these are lower resolution but still clickable.

    The Museum at Manassas
    Looking East across the top of Henry Hill. Bull Run is about 1/2 mile into the woods.
    Looking North from Stonewall Jackson’s statue at Henry House.
    Henry House with Bull Run mountains in the distance
    Still looking North at Henry House, Matthews Hill can be seen on the top right of the image

    The above image is a bit deceptive. There is a large valley between Henry House and Matthews Hill.

     

    Henry House and a monument to the battle
    Turning to the East, you can see a Union artillery line
    Union Cannons
    Confederate Artillery on the West side of Henry Hill pointing east
    From the Confederate Artillery to the Union Artillery is maybe 1/4 mile west to east
    Mrs. Henry’s grave at Henry House
    Henry House
    You can go into some of the houses, including Henry House and Matthews House
    Looking East from Henry House. Stone Bridge is buried in the distant woods out of sight.
    Matthews House at the base of Matthews Hill. Warrenton turnpike passes right in front of the house

    Chinns Ridge is back in the woods to the West across Sudley Road. I didn’t make it back there.
    Working East along a loop around Henry Hill, there are info boards in various places.
    Northeast of Henry Hill is Robinson House, which is around 200 yards away from Warrenton Turnpike
    The foundation of Robinson House
    Working back South toward the Union Artillery
    Another info board
    View from the Union artillery West toward the Confederate line

    Natural Beauty
    Sudley Church
    My photography assistant

     

    A picture is worth a thousand words, so this is like a zillion word article! Let me know if you have any questions or want to see something more in specific.

  • Scenes from a Wasteland: Ground Zero for the Carnage of the Government Shutdown

    After barely surviving the immediate fallout of the government shutdown, Baby Trshmnstr and I braved the post-apocalyptic wasteland to see if the Starbucks gift cards still worked. On the way, we passed by ground zero, one of the hardest hit places in the world by this tragedy… a National Park. Specifically, Manassas Battlefield National Park.

    Blood stained these grounds a century and a half ago, and we honor the loss, but this park will now have new historic meaning as the Bull Run ran red with the life essence of the millions who have died because of the government shutdown.

    I originally thought that I had captured an image of a valiant National Park Officer shielding the gawkers and rubberneckers from the unimaginable horror that lies beyond the main entrance. Upon further inspection, it was an evil libertarian trying to pillage the piled up bodies for gold and for survivors to put to work in their salt mines. Thank God for the gate blocking their way! Some heroic government employee must have put it in place prior to dying from lack of funding.

    The evil libertarians are at the gate!!! They’ve failed to get in, but they’ve succeeded at blocking my picture of the gate!!

    We trudged on: me, the less than loyal dog, and the only-partially-aware baby. Oh, to view this horror from the eyes of a babe! What a punishment! A sentence worse than death: to grow up and live a shell of a life surrounded by death and rot! And all because the damn Republicans shut down the government!

    We continued to what was once the field hospital, where the wounded were once brought to be hacked up or to be released into the sweetness of death. However, through the wanton cruelty of the Trump, the casualties of today’s Civil War weren’t even given a chance. Only a few straggling survivors were able to make it to the field hospital to revive the building to its most glorified use. The well that once was polluted with the severed appendages and disfigured tissue of battlefield casualties is quietly empty today, the few survivors too disoriented and delirious from the mass gore and violence of the GOP assault.

    Oh, the poor survivors! Nowhere to go, no civilization to return to! They’re left, like the beasts of the plains, to die nameless and without dignity in this new dystopian reality!!

    We finally passed by what was once a gathering place for schoolchildren and other lovers of learning to gaily frolic from historical monument to historical monument. Horses would gallop by and athletes would perfect their fitness in a small utopia built up on government land. Now, all that is left at this alternate entrance to the park is a bevy of burnt out automobiles, husks left from a happier time.

    As we drove past this monument to unspeakable violence, choking back tears and vomit, it struck me how this park would look in a far away future, once this turmoil has passed. Much like the neatly lined cannons and artillery pieces that adorn Henry Hill not more than half a mile from this place, a future monument to this oh so frivolous act of hatred will show these destroyed cars lined in neat rows, scorched by the hatred of this nation’s Hitler.

    Why is there sometimes a perverse beauty in violent death? What draws the eye to such destruction?

    I part with a single thought. As I gaze into the cruel face of government shutdown, I see that the struggle is finished. I love Big Brother.