Today was a full day here in Istanbul. We were up early, ate breakfast out-took the bus and the tram to Sultanmahment Station and saw all the usuals: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace. The last item is huge and can consume a whole day in and of itself.
Continue readingCategory: History
Lies, and the lying liars who tell them.
Life on the end of an internet “stick” can be more than a little frustrating. Sometimes it’s quite fast-other times, excruciatingly slow. Thus I have been more than a little remiss in making my usual round of holiday postings. Integrating into life here in Germany has been quite a unique
Continue readingWhat should have been…..and never was.
Our future in space, stunted in its youth-because Americans, as a whole are pretty stupid. We went to the moon, in an aggressive fashion, and then pretty much stopped. When I think about all the money that has been wasted on all the wars between 1972 and now-we could have
Continue readingThe setting sun……
If you look to the left you will find that today is the 66th anniversary of the sinking of IJS Yamato by American aircraft and naval gunfire. A few years back I wrote this post about the movie made in Japan that talked about it. Last night was Easter, but
Continue readingTrying to understand the foolishness- Part 1. The reading list.
”I don’t remember ever seeing grown-ups behave less seriously.” There was no need for this offense to come, but woe all the same to those by whom it came, and woe above all to those who whitewashed and rationalized it.-Christopher Hitchens. Its been a weird week. I’ve been wanting to
Continue readingOctober 25th……
Today is the anniversary of three different battles. The nostalgics and historically myopic among the blogosphere will focus on St. Crispin’s day. The more nautically minded will focus on the fact that it is anniversary of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, an American naval victory-but as Herman Wouk pointed out,
Continue readingGenbaku no hi
As is my custom on August 6-I try to honor the day that life changed forever in Japan, in an event that haunts them still today. Today is the 6th of August. It was the day in 1945 when the Atomic Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima by the B-29 Enola
Continue readingAt least do your homework…..
Over on a discussion board-there is a member who continually proves true Barry Goldwater’s old admonition from 1989-the Republican party of his day ( and now) is “full of kooks.” One of the things I continue to find to be one of the most annoying features of tebaggerdom today is
Continue readingA great story……
In front of Yanmashita park in Yokohama, located on the waterfront, the NYK ship Hikawamaru is moored as a floating museum. She recently celebrated her 80th birthday. The 11,622 ton Hikawa Maru was built in 1929 by Yokohama Dock Co – yard 177, for the Nippon Yusen KK line, Tokyo.
Continue readingAnd then there was one…….
There is only one survivor of the Enola Gay left. Read about him here.
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