This is the face of bravery

This is what bravery looks like.  This is a woman fighting true misogyny and pure evil.  She is not some whiny millennial who is dressed like a vagina claiming to be a hero.  This is a woman who is truly facing danger that no one in this country (except the besieged residents of Chicago) can possibly understand.

This lady is a true hero.

Return of the Persian Empire?

I look at the map of the Middle East in 2017 and I see that history does indeed repeat.

The Islamic State is collapsing and we are not sure what will take its place.  It is a lot like the fall of the Assyrian Empire in 612 BC, where a lot of successor states took its place.  That might happen again.

Or is it time for an Achenamid  flash back?

Iran, no fan of the Islamic State, has a lot of support in the Shia community of an unstable, unnatural Iraq,  They get along with the Kurds and are allies with Assad's Syria. Iranian support for Hezbollah in south Lebanon is well known.  It would not be inconceivable for Iran to be standing on the Med if not in a formal territorial sense, clearly in a diplomatic one. Russian support only makes this more likely.

If this scenerio were to come to pass, do you think Iran would stop there?  The question then is will Iran and Saudi Arabia duel for support of the Islamic world or will the Iranians take Islamic leadership by attacking Israel? 

The 21st century is supposed to be about the future, but it sure looks like a throwback at this moment in time.

Gettysburg trip!

I don't what it is about Gettysburg.  Michelle and I have been there three times over the last year.  I like the place and Michelle is in absolute love with the place.

There is something about standing on the ground where history changed.  The Germans have a word for it--begrunden. It means something like "awareness".

I have had that feeling before in places like Marathon and Thermopylae.  I have sat along the road on Sherman's March trying to get that feeling too.  Maybe it has something to do with ghosts.

Although Gettysburg was a great Union victory and the turning point of the war, no one was aware that it was the turning point at that time.  After all, the war had been raging for two years and the grat victory was in Pennsylvania, not deep in the Confederacy.  And remember, victory was not assured.  There was still an election coming up in 1864 where one party was running on a "peace at any price"  platform.

Sherman's conquest of Atlanta is what won the war.

Have a great Father's Day!

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS WIN THE CUP

STANLEY CUP 2017!!!

Back to back! Now for the three peat!

Prayers for Britian

Now, get ready to do something!  Past time to rock a lot of terrorists' world!