“Why Miss Cardinale you look a little worried.”
“Sorry sir, just not feeling myself today.”
“”Then you should let someone else feel you.”
“…..”
“Just saying.”
Winner
This week
I Didn’t Even Know It Was Still Around
. . . And I didn’t know there was such a job title.
Fruit Stripe Gum Is Gone Forever
Food & Wine | January 9, 2024 | Jelisa Castrodale…
In late 2021, Greg Guidotti, the General Manager of the Sugar Portfolio at Ferrara Candy Company, told Food Business News that sales of Fruit Stripe gum had increased 4.5% over the previous year. The company was then launching Fruit Stripe gummy candies, which also seem to have been discontinued.
It [had] introduced a zebra mascot named Yipes, and the slogan “Yipes! Stripes!,” which are both familiar to anyone whose childhood also included a steady diet of Saturday morning cartoons. In 2016, Yipes was even name-dropped in a Jeopardy! question, which asked the contestants what kind of animal he was.
A much better mascot than the Candy Cornholer, in my opinion.
Professor Discovers Scientific Way To Expose MaryAnn in Remarkable Display of TV I Would Watch
Local Man Has To Blow His Nose Four Times; Country Put Into Lockdown
Local Grandma Eats Grapes in Produce Aisle, Complains That Grocer’s Prices Are Too High
Latest Monkey News: The Headline Speaks for Itself
Florida’s Next Invasive Species? Likely a Monkey, Report Says, Following Its Swimming, Deadly Cousin
Kinsey Crowley and Steve McQuilkin | USA Today | 1/11/24
… the crab-eating macaque, a type of monkey. . . .
The report has a swimming, deadly cousin?
I Tire of This Fellow
Aren’t you the president, Joe?
Biden, 81, says he works ‘for the government in the SENATE’ and throws Lloyd Austin under the bus by saying the secret hospital trip WAS a lapse in judgment at Pennsylvania coffee shop
UK Daily Mail | January 12 2024 | Emily Goodin
Straight Line of the Day: What Else Are Houseplants Guilty Of?
Apparently, Houseplants Now Contribute to Climate Change
American Thinker | 9 Jan, 2024 | Chris TalgoThe climate-change killjoys have gone to great lengths in recent years linking practically anything and everything as a contributor to climate change. Gas stoves? Check. Dishwashers? Check. Eating meat? Check. Sporting events? Check. Breathing? Check, too.
Given this history, I must say I was not all that surprised when I read a recent article in the Washington Post claiming, “Indoor houseplants come with a cost to the planet.”
Welcome to IMAO! You Know, Some Carpeting Might Help. Also a Fire Screen.
Friday Night Open Thread: A Virtual Pandora’s Box
War in Sweden?
Who against whom?
Swedish Alarm After Defence Chiefs’ War Warning
BBC News.com | January 10, 2024 | Paul KirbyCivil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin told a defence conference “there could be war in Sweden”.
His message was then backed up by military commander-in-chief Gen Micael Byden, . . .
Well, trust someone with that last name to screw things up.
. . . who said all Swedes should prepare mentally for the possibility.
However, opposition politicians have objected to the tone of the warnings.
Ex-prime minister Magdalena Andersson told Swedish TV that while the security situation was serious, “it is not as if war is just outside the door.”
Children’s rights organisation Bris . . .
Heh
. . . said that its national helpline did not usually receive calls about the possibility of war. But this week, it had seen an increase in worried calls from youngsters who had seen news reports or posts on TikTok talking about it.
“This was well prepared, it wasn’t something blurted out,” Bris spokeswoman Maja Dahl told the BBC. “They should have provided information meant for kids when they come out with this kind of information for grown-ups.”
Yes, but how do you address Greta?
Despite the starkness of the messaging, the remarks from the civil defence minister and military chief are being seen as a wake-up call.
After more than two centuries of peace, Sweden is a few steps from joining the Nato defensive alliance, waiting for a green light from Turkey’s parliament and then from Hungary.
The commander-in-chief said his remarks were nothing new.
He visited Ukraine’s eastern front a month ago and Sweden is one of a group of countries training Ukrainian pilots. Stockholm is also said to be considering sending advanced Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine.
“My ambition with this is not to worry people; my ambition is to get more people to think about their own situation and their own responsibilities,” Gen Byden later told Aftonbladet newspaper.
More tests are needed in the Bikini Atoll.
What’s Walrus building?
Well this turned into a fine mess. You may remember I was going to start on the motorized Tiger.
Things went along without much trouble. Not no trouble, but correctable minor problems. Things went fine with the chassis.
At this point you may notice the tilting red bricks where the turret would have to attach to and all I can say it was really hard to get the bricks to lock properly with the completed turret. But eventually I succeeded.
Now the real problem. I charged up the battery and got the remote ready and then…
nothing. Nothing worked. The only problem may have been the connections to the motor and, dummy that I am, I didn’t not check to see if they were working properly before proceeding with the build. That means my only recourse is to take it all apart and start from the tank body before motor installation. I may do that, probably, but I’m leaving this aside until later.
After this fiasco I did some other builds which will show up in the previous build section. I have put in an order for the HMS Hood to go with my Bismarck build and I await delivery. In the meantime I am going to start this one next.
Less than 500 bricks, should be a quick build.
Previous Builds
Panzer III Ausf. J
The Panzerkampfwagen III, commonly known as the Panzer III, was a medium tank developed in the 1930s by Germany, and was used extensively in World War II. The official German ordnance designation was Sd.Kfz. 141. It was intended to fight other armoured fighting vehicles and serve alongside and support the similar Panzer IV, which was originally designed for infantry support.
Initially the Panzer III had the same 3.7 cm gun as the infantry used for anti-tank work but later models were given 5 cm gun. However, this was the largest gun that could be fitted within the limitations of the turret ring and it was insufficient against Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks. Instead the Panzer IV which had a larger turret ring, was redesigned to mount the long-barrelled 7.5 cm KwK 40 gun and became the main German tank. The Panzer III effectively swapped roles with the Panzer IV; from 1942 the last version of the Panzer III (Panzer III N) mounted the short barrelled 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 that the first Panzer IVs had been fitted with.
Production of the Panzer III ceased in 1943 but the Sturmgeschütz III assault gun which had been developed from the Panzer III chassis continued in production until the end of the war.
The most common variant of the Panzer III, which served in North Africa and the Eastern Front. Hull and turret front armour increased to solid 50 mm plate. Spaced armour was placed around the gun mantlet.
Stug III Ausf. F/8
(I also did one of these as the Flammpanzer variant)
The Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) was an assault gun produced by Germany during World War II. It was the most-produced fully tracked armoured fighting vehicle, and second-most produced German armored combat vehicle of any type after the Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track. It was built on a slightly modified Panzer III chassis, replacing the turret with an armored, fixed superstructure mounting a more powerful gun. Initially intended as a mobile assault gun for direct-fire support for infantry, the StuG III was continually modified, and much like the later Jagdpanzer vehicles, was employed as a tank destroyer.StuG III Ausf. F: (Sd.Kfz 142/1; March–September 1942, 366 produced) The first real up-gunning of the StuG, this version uses the longer 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/43 gun. Firing armour-piercing Panzergranat-Patrone 39, the StuK 40 L/43 could penetrate 91 mm of armour inclined 30 degrees from vertical at 500 m, 82 mm at 1,000 m, 72 mm at 1,500 m, 63 mm at 2,000 m, allowing the Ausf. F to engage most Soviet armoured vehicles at normal combat ranges. This change marked the StuG as being more of a tank destroyer than an infantry support vehicle. An exhaust fan was added to the rooftop to evacuate fumes from spent shells, to enable the firing of continuous shots. Additional 30 mm armour plates were welded to the 50 mm frontal armour from June 1942, making the frontal armour 80 mm thick. From June 1942, Ausf. F were mounted with approximately 13 inch (334 mm to be exact) longer 7,5 cm StuK 40 L/48 gun. Firing above mentioned ammunition, longer L/48 could penetrate 96 mm, 85 mm, 74 mm, 64 mm respectively (30 degrees from vertical).
Shelby Park, Texas: Fort Sumpter?
https://threadreaderapp.com ^ | 1-11-24 | Bill Melugin
The Texas Military Department confirms the TX National Guard has seized control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass (city property where mass illegal crossings are), and is restricting Border Patrol from accessing the area, saying the Feds “perpetuate illegal crossings”. This is the area where Border Patrol has been cutting TX razor wire. Razor wire and fences are now deployed to block the area off from the public and federal government. Attached video is from our crew on the ground this morning as they began blocking it off.
You can expect DOJ to sue Texas over this.
Texas Military Department statement:
“The Texas National Guard has maintained a presence with security points and temporary barrier in Shelby Park since 2021. The current posture is to prepare for future illegal immigrant surges and to restrict access to organizations that perpetuate illegal immigrant crossings in the park and greater Eagle Pass area.”
@BPUnion statement:
“Governor Abbott is not harming Border Patrol operations, he is enhancing them. His seizing control of Shelby Park allows our agents to deploy to troubled spots that experience high numbers of gotaways. Governor Abbott’s actions should be seen as a force multiplier.” @BPUnion The city of Eagle Pass also confirms that its mayor was notified by @TxDPS that TX was taking control of Shelby Park as a result of @GovAbbott emergency declaration.
🙂
Texas blocks federal border agents from processing migrants in Eagle Pass public park
CBS News | January 12, 2024 | Camilo Montoya-GalvezWashington — Texas state officials this week abruptly blocked federal U.S. Border Patrol agents from entering and patrolling a public area in the border town of Eagle Pass where they typically first encounter migrants who cross the Rio Grande illegally, two U.S. officials told CBS News on Thursday.
After seizing control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas National Guard units deployed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott have prevented Border Patrol agents from entering the area, the federal officials said. Border Patrol has used the park in recent weeks to hold migrants in an outdoor staging area before they are transported for further processing, including last month, when illegal crossings soared to record levels.
Earlier Thursday, Texas state officials prevented Border Patrol boats from patrolling that area, one of the officials added, requesting anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.
Just Ask Hillary: You Can Never Have Too Many Awards (Or Awards Shows)
Prince Harry Is To Be Named a ‘Legend of Aviation’ Alongside Moon Heroes Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin at Glitzy Beverly Hills Ceremony
Daily Mail | 1/10/24Prince Harry is to be inducted alongside Apollo 11 hero Buzz Aldrin as a ‘living legend’ of aviation at a glitzy Beverly Hills ceremony hosted by John Travolta.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, has been recognised ahead of the likes of Charles Duke – who became the youngest person to walk on the moon in 1972 when he was aged 36.
…
The event was set up in 2003 to honour those who make significant contributions to aviation and aerospace.
…
The Duke completed two tours of Afghanistan as a forward air controller and an Apache helicopter pilot, having flown countless training missions in the UK, US and Australia.
Countless training missions? Nobody’s ever done that!
He served for 10 years in the military, rising to the rank of Captain.
Harry will take his place alongside other aviation and aerospace ‘legends’ including Aldrin, Jeff Bezos, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Elon Musk and Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud.
Awww… No Greta? No Reverand Al Sharpton?
Or, I almost forgot:
Trayvon Martin Receives Posthumous Aeronautical Science Degree
Fox News | May 14, 2017A South Florida university awarded an honorary degree to Trayvon Martin, Saturday. Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, took the stage at Florida Memorial University’s commencement in Miami Gardens to receive a posthumous bachelor’s degree in aeronautical science on their son’s behalf. Fulton and Martin said the ceremony was bittersweet, and now they’re passing on an inspirational message to Trayvon’s fellow graduates. “To the graduates, I tell you, there is no limit to what you can do,” said Fulton. “Just stay focused and put your mind to it, and you can do it.”
Straight Line of the Day: If Biden Drops Out, Who Will Replace Him?
Joe Biden Will Drop Out of 2024 Presidential Race, Top JPMorgan Strategist Predicts
NY Post | Jan. 8, 2024| Ariel ZilberMichael Cembalest, who heads the market and investment strategy unit in the Wall Street bank’s asset management division, made the shocking forecasts in his list of ‘Ten Surprises’ for 2024 over the weekend.
Tops among the budding Nostradamus’ prophesies was that 81-year-old Biden will drop out of the race “sometime between Super Tuesday and the November election, citing health concerns.”