At least one post a day - even if it's just a quick note, and not an essay. Will that keep you blighters happy? :-)

... Link (2 comments) ... Comment

I'm sure most of you have already read or heard that the Army is deploying the 3rd infantry division to the Middle East. The troop buildup continues. Saddam will either abdicate in favor of exile, have a 9mm heart attack administered by one of his inner circle, or be removed from office, (and most likely this world) by force of arms. I think each alternative is equally likely, as I read the tea leaves today.

I spent NYE at a party hosted by some dear friends from renfaire. They're both senior reserve officers in a critical combat support field, and that's all I'm going to say about them. They've both been given a heads-up to start tidying up their personal affairs, (they have, as you might expect, serious responsibilites in their civilian jobs) and expect activation soon.

It was a great party, as a side note - a murder mystery party. While none of us were smart enough to figure out whodunnit, (alcohol never made anyone any smarter) we all had a blast. Met some new friends, and spent much of the night discussing our nominees for the Top 10 Sci-Fi novels of all time, with the conversation seguing into the Top 10 Fantasy novels, and mucho fat-chewing about The Two Towers. But I digress, as I am wont to do...

That night, we discussed another prediction - one I hope does not come true. When the "hot war" starts against Saddam, he will use those WMDs he has that our UN Inspectors can't seem to find.

He would like to use them against US troops, but there's a problem with that. In order to do so, he's going to have to know where thay are, and his command and control network, already degraded today, is going to be compleatly ineffective, come the day. It'll be like a blinfolded shotgunner trying to hit a flock of geese as they fly by.

So, he's going to to use them against his own folks, and claim that the US did it. It speaks much to the mindset of some parts of the world that there will be many folks who will choose to believe him. There will even be a few morons stateside that will, or at least, say they do.

Even more outrageously, there will be those that will, while admitting that it was indeed Saddam that used his gas and anthrax, will blame the US nonetheless.

... Link (0 comments) ... Comment

Not everything photogenic at TRF is of the animal kingdom. The owner of the faire, known by us as "King George," is quite the plant fancier. He spends boocoo bucks keeping the grounds manicured and tailored all the year round.

In fact, it's a bit of a shame. Walk onto the grounds a week or two before the faire starts, and it is as lovely as an English garden, and the grass is as nice as most golf courses. By the end of the second week of faire, thousands of feet have trampled the turf into torn red-brown dirt.

Still, the flowers in the various protected locations live on.

I took these pics the second weekend of faire. It was the first weekend of what proved to be a month of wet weather that basically killed the crowds this season. These plants were all in the new Roman Basilica, the new garden spot that replaced the old Battle Mound.

The light was marginal, as it was a cloudy and wet day. (as evidenced by the droplets seen on the leaves of the plants) I have no idea as to the flavor of plants these are, and would welcome any informed advice on that issue.

I just shoot them, OK? :-)

As always, comments are welcome, and hi-res versions of these pics are available, if you just lurrve them.

... Link (3 comments) ... Comment