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An hour long bus ride may seem long and hard

By georgeha (Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:07:56 AM EST) wrenchin' and bleedin', Macs are too cool for me, dementia (all tags)

but I'm finding it works pretty well.

Plus, weekend recap (about a 3 out of 10), attention UKian infidels, I see an Apple store but don't go in, killing the cable pig and less.

Poll: Favorite naval battle?

The school bus comes around 7:00 each morning, giving the kids about an hour on the bus. Last year it came about 7:15.

I can deal, though, since I now have flexibility in my morning. I can, if need arises, take my shower after the kids go to school, and still be on time, more or less. Less today, because I had to drop off the cable box at the cable company.

It's tough for the kids, though.

All in all, it was a sucky weekend. Friday my favorite cat died, Saturday I was working on my bike, bruised and scraped my hand removing the starter clutch, and realized I needed more parts. Sunday we took MIL for about four hours, and I ended up pushing her around the mall for a while while Mrs. Ha shopped.

I did see the Apple Store in the mall, but I didn't dare go in. I couldn't explain why to MIL either, how can you explain the difference in aura between Apple and PC to a complete computer illiterate?

Boy, fall is sure in the air, it's getting colder out.

I finished my first book on Nelson last week, Nelson's Trafalgar : The Battle That Changed the World . It was good, and related the hazards that seaman faced back in the Napoleonic age, wooden ships and iron men indeed. Adkins presents a good case that it wa Trafalgar that made England the globe spanning pre-eminent empire it was. S, UKian sorts, is Nelson still revered over there, like Washington and Lincoln are here? Do you get a bank holiday for him, can you buy sheets, cars and washing machines for good prices during the Nelson day sales? Are you exhorted to do your duty and come on down and buy a Rover for low, low prices with low interest rates?

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An hour long bus ride may seem long and hard | 37 comments (37 topical, 0 hidden)

I voted Jutland by cam (2.00 / 0) #1 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:14:37 AM EST

Typical capital intensive industrial view of battle, they were too scared of losing their big investments. Compare that timidity to Nimitz in 42 who had only a couple of effective platforms and threw them into battle with complete confidence. IMO Nimitz won the Pacific war.

The first world war was won by the Royal Navy and the French Army. Both blockaded Germany, on the water from receiving resources, and on land from getting to Paris or the channel. The aircraft and submarine industries were the high tech of 1914. By 1916 the Germans could not match the British and French for horsepower in their aircraft engines.

The allies were producing better fuels, lubricants and engines. Not for lack of German ingenuity, but for Germany's lack of resources. By 1917 the war was over, it was a question of when. The only time it was in doubt from that point on was the March offensive by the Germans in 1918 which got close to Paris, but the French and British held on.

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic

I am SHOCKED to see you posting here. by ammoniacal (4.00 / 1) #2 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:17:39 AM EST

SHOCKED, I tell you.

"To this day that was the most bullshit caesar salad I have every experienced..." - triggerfinger

[ Parent ]

I should have added an earlier battle of the by georgeha (4.00 / 1) #3 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:23:33 AM EST

Atlantic, and maybe even Lusitania vs a U-boat.

Nimitz was good, but he knew he had the better logistics, the shipyards were full of carriers, the airplane plants were full of plains, and he had plenty of petrol.

[ Parent ]

: They werent in 1942 and that was when he by cam (2.00 / 0) #17 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:03:21 AM EST

risked his carriers most.
cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic
[ Parent ]

I am SHOCKED by ad hoc (4.00 / 1) #5 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:27:02 AM EST

at your answer. I would have thought you'd say Battle of Coral Sea.

That's what I would have picked since I spent some time on the USS Coral Sea.
--
Once you get used to the idea that everything is equally true, decisions get much easier. -- johnny

[ Parent ]

banned: weapons by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #8 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:36:15 AM EST

boy, we got a bunch of unpatriotic web filters here.

[ Parent ]

: Wow, that's pretty severe by ad hoc (2.00 / 0) #15 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:59:50 AM EST

--
Once you get used to the idea that everything is equally true, decisions get much easier. -- johnny
[ Parent ]

Coral Sea was the first of what can be grouped by cam (2.00 / 0) #19 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:07:51 AM EST

as a series of battles where the Japanese were shown the door. Coral Sea, Milne Bay, Kokoda and the Solomons, the last of which the USN and USMC broke the back of the Japanese once and for good. Each one of those said 'no more'. No more large scale seaborne invasions, no more small invasions from landing strip to landing strip, no more overland invasions, and finally no, you cant have an island chain to cut Au-NZ off from the US.

Jutland is frsustrating as it is like watching Geoffrey Boycott bat. You can hear the crowd yelling to Jellicoe, " 'av' a swing y' mug!". Nimitz is more like Vyv Richards destroying a bowling attack with affable confidence.

How long ago were you on the Coral Sea?

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic

[ Parent ]

: Coral Sea by ad hoc (4.00 / 1) #20 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:15:11 AM EST

IIRC, isn't it the first naval battle where the ships never saw each other? The fighting was all by air?
I was on it for about 2 months in 1976, cruising along the California coast between San Diego and Alameda, but mostly around Catalina.
--
Once you get used to the idea that everything is equally true, decisions get much easier. -- johnny
[ Parent ]

7 AM bus rides by ObviousTroll (2.00 / 0) #4 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:25:10 AM EST

My son has to do that; apparently the buses come first for the middle- and high- school crowds, then come back ~ 8 AM for the little'uns; which means we launch the kids one at a time. I don't think my children actually see each other until about 4 PM on week days.

--
Faith, and the possibility of weaponized kissing?

Long bus rides were why I walked by wiredog (2.00 / 0) #10 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:40:12 AM EST

School was about a mile away (cross-country, 1.5 miles on roads.) If I walked I got there quicker than the bus did and left the house later.

Earth First!
_{(We can strip mine the rest later.)}

[ Parent ]

: Same here by debacle (2.00 / 0) #23 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:31:26 AM EST

My house was always the first stop on the line. The ride was almost forty minutes. I could make it to school and do all of my homework from the previous night before the bus showed up.
IF YOU HAVE TWO FIRLES THOROWNF MONEY ART SUOCIDE GIRLS STRIPPER HPW CAN YPUS :OSE?!?!?!?(elcevisides).

[ Parent ]

Midway by ucblockhead (4.00 / 1) #6 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:33:05 AM EST

I chose Midway, because not only was it a pivotal battle, but the outcome of the battle turned on a the actions of just a single dive-bomber group over ten minutes.
---
[ucblockhead is] useless and subhuman

: Midway established the American Naval Doctrine by cam (2.00 / 0) #29 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:59:10 AM EST

of blue water dominance through the air. At Midway Yamamoto had his big capital ships back and in safety to come in and destroy the American capital fleet. Nimitz had already worked out that the most aggresive weapon the navy had now was the aircraft carrier and he used them as his main strike force. The Japanese used their carriers in an attempt to lure the American battleships out.
Nimitz' methods and doctrine has been the basis of US blue water supremacy ever since.
cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic
[ Parent ]

Poll - by Bob Abooey (2.00 / 0) #7 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:35:54 AM EST

Shouldn't that be multi-select?

You haven't caved to un-popular opinion have you?

Warmest regards,
--Your best pal Bob

Now I can't retcon this diary by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #9 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:37:41 AM EST

by editing the poll from single to multiselect, and back.

Curses, foiled again.

[ Parent ]

: You did it right, george by debacle (2.00 / 0) #24 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:32:00 AM EST

You did it damned right.
IF YOU HAVE TWO FIRLES THOROWNF MONEY ART SUOCIDE GIRLS STRIPPER HPW CAN YPUS :OSE?!?!?!?(elcevisides).

[ Parent ]

Nelson by Breaker (4.00 / 1) #11 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:46:04 AM EST

Was at the cutting edge of naval tactics then.

There was a big shift in how the approach was to be managed; UKian boats had to take the pain of sailing directly at opposition boats before turning and firing. Damage to the UK boats would be the more dangerous bow-to-aft direction (as opposed to port-starboard). But when the UKian boats got into their battle lines after they'd turned (crossing the T), they could fire at a much faster rate than most opposition, with greater accuracy.

Because the UK ships would fire mostly from the windward direction of their enemy, their top gun ports only were used to prevent flooding if the lower gun ports were opened (ship would list away from the wind). The French ships, who were mostly interested in just getting away, favouring to attack away from the wind - that way they'd attempt to merely cripple UKian ships, and run for it.

Higher cannon ports couldn't support heavy cannon, until some Scotch company produced some light cannonades that had an exceptionally good range. Also plating ships hulls in copper reduced limpet and weed fouling, which meant UKian ships could be at sea for longer without losing too much speed.

So, a big change in tactics, technology, plus a good precedent in privateering during the Elizabethan age all helped.

Yes, but what of today? by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #16 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:01:36 AM EST

Are there Nelson day parades, sales, telly specials? Do people have bigNelson partys, topped off with seeing how long one can stay submerged in a keg of brandy?

[ Parent ]

Nope. by Breaker (2.00 / 0) #22 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:30:04 AM EST

He's largely forgotton apart from the occasional bicentennial extravaganza.

It is possible that in a homophobic backlash Nelson was branded as a flaming whoopsie, in which case he'd have very much been out of favour quick sharp.

[ Parent ]

: The main reason by notafurry (2.00 / 0) #32 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 09:41:35 AM EST

Seems to have been disapproval over his long-term affair with Lady Hamilton.
Trafalgar Square would tend to argue against his having been "forgotten" until relatively recent times, but then, with so many other famous heroes to celebrate - like that guy who tried to blow up Parliament - it's understandable that one or two of your greatest historical figures would slip through the cracks.

[ Parent ]

I don't think there are any person-day-parties by komet (4.00 / 1) #34 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 09:49:47 AM EST

like in the US, except for Mrs The Queen's Birthday and Some Guy Tried To Kill All Politicians (Which In Retrospect Might Not Have Been Such A Bad Idea After All) Day.

--
<ni> komet: You are functionally illiterate as regards trashy erotica.

[ Parent ]

(Comment Deleted) by yicky yacky (2.00 / 0) #12 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:50:31 AM EST

This comment has been deleted by yicky yacky

7AM? by dev trash (2.00 / 0) #13 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:55:48 AM EST

hell I had to be at the stop at 6:45. And I was not home until 3:45.

--
Blizzard of Death '06

: uphill, in the snow, both ways, etc by sasquatchan (4.00 / 1) #14 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 07:57:30 AM EST

[ Parent ]

Monitor/Virginia by sasquatchan (2.00 / 0) #18 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:03:49 AM EST

Surely you mean the CSS Merrimack, right ? I mean, if I've gotta drive through a nasty tunnel on occassion, I don't think they call it the Monitor/Merrimack tunnel for no reason, eh ?

I think the typical idea here is the fact by debacle (2.00 / 0) #21 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:28:46 AM EST

That Macs actually have their own store. I'd like to see the Microsoft Store or the FreeBSD Kiosk.

Also, I voted for the battle of Midway because you didn't list Jack Sparrow vs the Giant Maneating Tentacled Vagina Monster.

But if you had, I would have voted for it.

IF YOU HAVE TWO FIRLES THOROWNF MONEY ART SUOCIDE GIRLS STRIPPER HPW CAN YPUS :OSE?!?!?!?(elcevisides).

(Comment Deleted) by yicky yacky (4.00 / 1) #26 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:43:10 AM EST

This comment has been deleted by yicky yacky

[ Parent ]

: This was my point by debacle (4.00 / 3) #28 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:56:28 AM EST

This is why there are separate stores for pornography and pastries. You wouldn't want spooge on your pastry, would you? You wouldn't want powdered sugar obscuring your view of some tart's chest, eh?
Macs are like deviant squirrel-on-alligator scat porn. No one wants that around. Well, some people do, but we know about them.
IF YOU HAVE TWO FIRLES THOROWNF MONEY ART SUOCIDE GIRLS STRIPPER HPW CAN YPUS :OSE?!?!?!?(elcevisides).

[ Parent ]

I don't know what breaker is talking about by garlic (2.00 / 0) #25 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:42:59 AM EST

On my trip to the UK, Nelson monuments seemed like they were everywhere.

: (Comment Deleted) by yicky yacky (2.00 / 0) #31 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 09:01:13 AM EST

This comment has been deleted by yicky yacky

[ Parent ]

Favorite battle. by Christopher Robin was Murdered (4.00 / 2) #27 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 08:44:18 AM EST

Nemo's Nautilus versus the navies of the colonial powers of the world and one unnamed giant octopus.

Port Arthur or Jutland by jimgon (2.00 / 0) #30 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 09:00:31 AM EST

Hard decision, but I would go with Jutland.

---------------
Technician - "We can't even get decent physical health care. Mental health is like witchcraft here."

Definitely Salamis... by atreides

(2.00 / 0) #33 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 09:48:04 AM EST

Anything that sees the Persian Empire suck it hard is +1 in my book.

_{Have you seen The Passion yet? Here's a spoiler for you: Jesus dies.
"...compassion is more than a 16 point word in scrabble." - MostlyHarmless}

: Otoh by bob6 (2.00 / 0) #37 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 10:47:03 PM EST

Anything that made the city of Athenes powerful should be -1 in the kings of Mycenae's book.

Cheers.
[ Parent ]

bus by alprazolam (2.00 / 0) #35 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 10:42:14 AM EST

I used to have a 30-45 minute busride in Kentucky (middle school) and I loved it. Man I never got in more trouble. I was the only kid on the whole bus with an assigned seat, I never sat down (always did the sideways turn and lean on the window thing), the older girls used to pick on me, and I almost got a girlfriend by sitting next to a chick my last year.

As far as naval battles, I haven't really had any worth talking about in Civ 4 yet but in Civ 2 I think I had a pretty epic one when I was the Greeks.

I can't even think of any real "naval" battles that Luffy from One Piece had, almost all the action came on land.

Oh ok, how about the one near the Pirate Isles or whatever in Ship of Destiny, the last Liveship book. How's that for obscure?

: I would rather go with the battle by wumpus (2.00 / 0) #36 Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 03:08:22 PM EST

closer to Bington. Air firepower really makes a battle memorable.
Wumpus

[ Parent ]

An hour long bus ride may seem long and hard | 37 comments (37 topical, 0 hidden)