This has been quite the year for "weather".
We are lucky. All we are getting is wind. Other parts of the state are got hammered with ice and deep snow. The last report I saw estimated 80,000 customers in Michigan are without electricity. Other states have been hit worse.
Spring
After a very warm first half of March, the second half of March is predicted to be "normal".
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| March daily high-low temperatures. Values on the left are actual and values on the right are predicted. |
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| The first week of April is predicted to be close to normal and the last 20 days to be five-to-ten degrees F below average. |
Homeschooling with Grandpa
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| 11mm diameter "spit-wad" low and right-of-center. |
We started with tissue-paper softened with tap-water and will progress to 2" long bits of MIG wire in foam sabots repurposed from hearing-protection. The high school band will definitely put her in the brass section due to her enhanced lung capacity.
Wednesday's lesson will be the extraction of phytoalkaloids and insect-derived compounds using low-pH solvents.
Exit strategy
A very old bit of advice is to not enter a war in Asia before you have a robust exit strategy.
I hope our leaders in D.C. have given that some consideration.
In fairness to them, even though Afghanistan was a Goat Festival, especially the withdrawal; nobody has flown any airplanes into US landmarks since September 11, 2001. So maybe that counts as some kind of victory.
The leftists are claiming that Iran will eventually get nukes, so what is the point of our military action? Frankly, I would consider delaying their getting that capability by fifty years to be much more desirable than them having enough material to cobble together a Fat Boy in November of 2026.
When you killed off the "evil old cleric " that prevented the building of a nuclear weapon by religious Fatwa you've garenteed they will build plenty.
ReplyDeleteNations have taken note that we use diplomacy to find out where the leaders are and bomb them.
Nations notice that North Korea having nukes doesn't get attacked.
Wonder how much Pakistan is charging for nukes. Plenty of Nations might be in the market.
Michael the anonymous
Praying we can get out of this tar baby war before we put those Marines we sent over in play.
Yeah....Michael has some good points there.
ReplyDelete"Fat boy", ha!
ReplyDeleteFirst two nuke designs (to Japan's misfortune) were "Fat Man" and "Little Boy"
Fat Man, an implosion plutonium device was tested at Trinity.
Little Boy was not tested...as they knew it would work! It's a 'gun device' using Uranium 235. That's what the mullahs were shooting (ha!) for, with the enrichment.
Putting together a functioning Little Boy once you have the internals is relatively easy. Putting together one you can easily deliver, another story.
However big and heavy, if you have the appropriate ballistic missile (which they were seriously working at), it's easy enough to threaten or deliver jihad to the Little and Big Satan.
So any setbacks to this hornet's nest I'm good with. I'd very much like to see the existing refined stocks recovered and taken out of the country.
Alan E.
Good thing only Israel has an extensive nuclear arsenal and already has Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles that can reach most of the world INCLUDING America.
ReplyDeleteAnd a known Sampson Option nuclear plan so when Israel goes down all their enemies will be attacked.
Isn't it Wonderful that Israel would NEVER think America betrayed them, maybe by not saving them from Iran.
So Alan could you please explain to me how we made this situation better again?
Michael the anonymous
Well Michael the Groyper- Israel isn't the religion that believes if they start Armageddon (or their version) that the 12th Rabbi will show up.
DeleteJust knowing they have them and haven't used them yet shows a little of their restraint.
Why haven't anyone sold nukes yet, since they're all over like candy?
Kurt care to explain why you're insulting me, sir?
DeleteSnip Well Michael the Groyper
Facts are disturbing to you?
Restraint is probably the BEST THING we can do in this ever more dangerous situation.
Speaking of blowguns, a pushpin with an appropriately sized piece of flexible tubing, allows for shots curving around corners.
ReplyDeletesam
Michael, what makes you think the Ayatollah was against nukes? HE was the one authorizing it!!!
ReplyDeleteOld NFO Please share a link for your statement.
DeleteSNIP Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a religious ruling declaring the use of nuclear weapons forbidden under Islamic law,
I could bore you with about a dozen such facts and links about this.
SNIP 1967
Iran's nuclear program began in the 1950s under the U.S. Atoms for Peace initiative. The first nuclear reactor, a 5 MW research reactor, was established in 1967 with U.S. assistance. This marked a significant step in Iran's nuclear development, laying the groundwork for further advancements in the following decades.
Let's see Terrorists had the ability to build a DIRTY BOMB for WHAT 59 Freaking Years.... NEVER DID IT did they?
OH and for 47 of those YEARS We've been PLAYING Tit for Tat against them. What IDIOT Pussys they were...
But if it makes you feel better that IRAN had the ability to make Nukes for better than a DECADE AND NEVER USED IT, what a batch of pussy Terrorists.
We HAVE Opened the Gates of Hell and I'm more than sure in a decade or so EVERY Country will do their damnedest to GET the BOMB so America will leave them alone LIKE WE DO with North Korea.
Get past the 47 years nonsense. WE Hurt them as much or more than they hurt us. Sanctions for DECADES THAT buddy is an act of WAR and harms the civilians not the Rulers.
HAHAhahahahahaha
DeleteYou don't need enriched Uranium for peaceful nukes.
Iran is very close to having their own Bomb. They are working off of Dr. Khan's design, and Khan's design doesn't require 90% or better enriched uranium to work. It isn't perfect, it produces a fair amount of duds (as we've seen with Pakistan and North Korea), but it works most of the time. It will fit in a conex with room left over for shielding and whatever the shipping label says. How many containers come into the US every day?
ReplyDeleteThe NorK "duds" were not fizzles. They were developing the initiator for a Teller-Ulam device, which is a very low yield fission device. They succeeded.
DeleteThe NorKs never intended to produce a fission device. Our intelligence community was oblivious to their actual intentions until they blew apart their Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site on September 3, 2017.
Totally agree regarding the shipping containers. Great way to mask origin of the bomb(s). Not technically difficult to get it to explode in the port (GPS, for instance) which would be devastating. Attacker will probably pack materials around device that produce biologically active, radioactive isotopes to enhance effect and fear.
DeleteSean Hannity aired his interview with Steve Witkoff on Wednesday, March 11th. The United States Special Envoy to the Middle East stated that the Iranian negotiators - specifically Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi - told the American team just before Epic Fury began that they possessed 460 kg of 60% enriched uranium, which had survived Midnight Hammer. Araghchi has confirmed Witkoff's statement in interviews with MS NOW in the 14th and CBS on the 15th.
ReplyDelete460 kg of 60% enriched uranium would produce 306 kg of 90% enriched (weapons grade) uranium after a week or so of centrifuging. Another week and the hexafluoride would be reduced to metal. 306 kg of 90% enriched uranium metal would be sufficient to produce 12 “Little Boy” scale bombs, each with 15 Kt yields, assuming a reasonable fission pit design. We know the Iranians developed several reasonably good pit designs at Parchin, circa 2005, before they cleared the site.
The Trump Administration will be asking the public just how comfortable we are with “Death To America” Iran having 12 compact, Hiroshima power level, nuclear weapons. It is doubtful that the Administration will end hostilities until the Iranians agree to surrender their enriched uranium.
We KILLED the "old evil cleric" that prevented the use of nuclear weapons to include dirty bombs for decades. See post above.
DeleteWe screwed up and we have NO NICE WAY OUT.
It doesn't help several times a day Trumps Bragging about this was blown up and I might do it again for FUN and so on. Want Links?
DO you WONDER WHY Nobody is rushing to be OUR Allies in this Epstein's Fury war. Want Links?
As countries inform Iran, they are Non-Combatants their shipping is allowed safe passage. Indian shipping is already going through the strait. Want Links?
Unconditional Surrender and all that is a Death Match situation. Brilliant thinking there, almost apocalyptic.
So, while all you said above is true, what in hades can you do about it.
Send in Marines? Did you FORGET the lessons of Ukraine and MASSIVE DRONE Warfare. We don't have any realistic anti-drone defenses.
Then there is the Israel problem. If we sail away Israel WHO has decided to go for it in a multi-front WAR is going to do what?
Sampson Option against ALL their enemies and those that betrayed them. THEY DO have a large arsenal of nukes AND ICBM's that can reach a huge part of the globe.
Bomb them into the Stone Age. Buddy they are already there.
We've tried that against North Vietnam and now it's simply Vietnam. Total size of ALL of Vietnam 128,066 mi² AND we were mostly bombing JUST the Northern Part.
https://www.tbsnews.net/features/big-picture/20-years-war-75m-tonnes-bombs-13m-dead-how-us-razed-vietnam-ground-1190821
Snip The US military strategy was rooted in overwhelming force. Strategic bombing campaigns devastated Vietnam's infrastructure and the countryside. About 7.5 million tonnes of bombs — more than triple the amount dropped in World War II — rained down on Vietnam. B-52 bombers alone dropped $30,000 worth of explosives per mission, and nearly 1.6 million tonnes of ordnance were used throughout the war.
Total Size Iran 636,372 mi²
Mostly rugged mountains. A LOT like Afghanistan.
Want to do some math for figure out how many Megatons of Nukes are going to be needed here?
MOSTLY Ground Bursts as your targeting DEEP Bunkers not cities in the open.
What PRAY TELL what the REST OF THE WORLD Might think about all that massive fallout wandering across the Middle East, Turkey, Pakistan, Russia, India, China, Japan, Philippine's and both Koreas? Sorry I forgot a lot of other countries AND A FAIR BIT will make it to Mainland America.
Persians are NOT Arabs. They are a Proud Nation with a long history.
Except for the Israel problem they have offered us reasonable terms already to end this war. Pity is it's going to humble America quite a bit.
You've outlined the problems. What are your proposed solutions?
DeleteFirst, we have to get past the PRIDE Injury of "47 YEARS" of Iranian mischief.
DeleteLike two schoolyard scrappers we've given as good as we've gotten from them. We've ATTACKED them as harshly and even worse than they have us.
We've lost and had injured what a few thousand over 47 years. HOW MANY KILLED AND INJURED in Iran over the past 2 weeks, sir? Decades of Sanctions harm only the civilians with damage to their economy and loss of basics like medicines and such.
So, unless we're going to pretend they are subhuman vermin to be destroyed maybe we should treat them like WE want to be treated.
You know, show the advantages of Do unto others as you want them to do onto you?
The Soviet Union fell NOT because we Blasted them into the stone age. They fell BECAUSE of Coca Cola.
The amazing blessings of Capitalism, abundant food NOT Food Lines, Nice Cars and all that. Disgruntled Commies WANTED to become Capitalists.
Historically Persia was a melting pot of religions, science and culture for centuries. You know Iran has more Christians than Israel? That Christianity as home churches (MUCH LIKE THE Early Church) is permitted and it has been growing as Islam has been shrinking there.
Again, like capitalism broke Communism in USSR, the gentle strength of Christianity is changing Iran.
Unless of course we CHOOSE to be INVADING CRUSADERS or something. Seems I recall Pope Innocent the III was told they couldn't figure out the Christians from the Muslims nor Jews "Kill them all, God will know His own".
Kind of makes "love your brother" and the "Good Samaritan" a HARD SELL when your dodging Bombs and Missiles from a "Judeo-Christian Nation".
BUT, BUT, BUT they TAX them under Islam.
SO WHAT? The Roman Empire TAXED the early church. Some might realize that Paul the Apostille wrote much of his part of the Bible WHILE IN ROMAN PRISION awaiting judgement and eventually execution.
All that said to say First STOP Picking Fights over PRIDE.
Iran wants a Homeland for Palestine. They want Israel to STOP BOMBING them (or as Israel so NICELY PUTS IT "Mowing the Grass") and let them alone.
A two Nation solution I think it's called. BUT APAIC who BUYS CONgress critters isn't going to allow OUR LAND being shared with THEM.
APAIC Webpage:
https://www.aipac.org/
Mission Statement:
The U.S.-Israel relationship makes America safer, stronger and more prosperous.
AIPAC is a membership organization that brings together 6 million U.S. citizens who commit their time and resources to ensuring the United States stands with our ally and that elected officials who support this partnership are elected to Congress.
AND WE WONDER WHY Israel gets SO much economic and military support from America.
The recycled taxpayer dollars must be awesome.
Face it friends, Israel OWNS US. We are FIGHTING Israels battles because they OWN our CONgress critters.
IF you take a map and push pin every Iranian "Attack" against America you'd DISCOVER it's a small oval between Iran and Israel. BUT HOW DARE IRAN Put their COUNTRY SO CLOSE to OUR BASES.
Bases ESTABLISHED to Protect Israel, our main "American Interest" Because of AIPAC in the Middle East.
We have been the RENT a Military for Israel for a long time.
Iran wants our bases removed as so we STOP being Israels rent a Navy and Airforce.
These are just a part of the HARD PART of Removing Israels ownership of America.
Iran wants full restoration of DAMAGES DONE, International Sanctions REMOVED, and WORSE of ALL a Public Apology for attacking them so often.
We attack Islams "Evils" so often but as scripture says:
Matthew 7
4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye? 5You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye
And get past "Christian PRIDE" (what an oxymoron) and fix what you broke, stop picking fights for your little brother Israel and apologize.
"We KILLED the "old evil cleric" that prevented the use of nuclear weapons to include dirty bombs for decades. See post above.
DeleteWe screwed up and we have NO NICE WAY OUT."
Not true. The Iranian nuclear weapons program outpaced its delivery (missile) program. These programs have to be run in tandem, as the NorKs have done. The exact nature of the nuclear device constructed must match the capabilities of the delivery vehicle. The Iranian heavy missile program has only just begun producing vehicles capable of delivering nuclear weapons to Israel. They were still a few years away from any delivery vehicle which could reach Europe or the U.S.
The TEU shipping container delivery method has not been viable for over a decade due to technical improvements in the NCIP.
Well it's nice to hear that Iran's abilities to strike nearby Israel with a homemade nuke is years away and America has effective ways to detect a shipping container nuke before it is a hazard.
DeleteThank you 10x25mm for that great news.
Maybe before Iran can really endanger Israel and America we can figure out how to NOT keep them angry at us.
You'd think 47 years of tit for tat is enough.
Michael the anonymous
"Well it's nice to hear that Iran's abilities to strike nearby Israel with a homemade nuke is years away..."
DeletePlease read my comment more slowly:
"....The Iranian heavy missile program has only just begun producing vehicles capable of delivering nuclear weapons to Israel....."
The Iranian Kheibar Shekan missile demonstrated the ability to hit targets within a range of 1,450 kilometers (900 miles) with a 550 kg (1,125 pound) warhead in June of last year. Without the June disruptions, Iran would have already constructed a suitable fission device as a payload.
The only way you will assuage the Iranian Principlists is by adopting Shia Islam. This may appeal to you, but many of us prefer our own chosen theological traditions. You are entirely welcome to move to Iran and bask in their approval.
Sorry I missed that Europe and USA was out of their range for a few years.
DeleteMy bad. Not interested in trading insults with you 10x25mm.
Your bright enough to know my religious point of view.
10X25mm I like your thoughts on this resignation.
Deletehttps://appalachianrenegade.com/2026/03/17/joe-kent-resigns/
Joe Kent Director of National Counterterrorism.
Comments are interesting there. Our Dan posted a good riddance comment and got thumped by the moderator.
FAR too many morons either can not or will not accept the fact that for decades Iran has been diligently working to acquire and perfect nuclear weapons. And for decades they have been openly declaring their goal was the destruction of Israel, the US and the rest of the west. If left unmolested they eventually would maybe succeeded...at both. Trump should be praised far and wide for recognizing and acting on this fact.
ReplyDeleteCare to show us some links for your opinions?
DeletePlease look up when American problems with the middle east started.
Then look up about when Israel was re-created by the west, mostly England.
Then look at how much effort we've done to protect Israel.
Wars takes at least 2 to tango.
Now tell me when Iran STARTED a real shooting war against Israel.
Tell me how this 2 pack of shooting wars didn't start with Mossad and CIA regime change, assassinations and first missiles AS DIPLOMACY was going on AS so to better target Iranian leadership.
Gee Danny Just MAYBE America and Israel has something to do about this desire to eliminate the ongoing threat of Israel.
Heaven forbid we do something Stupid like not repeating the same Gameplan of destroying Iran after regroup from the last asserting.
You know show up with a biblical apology and restore what we destroy.
Iran has a critical water situation, what would Jesus suggest about that.
Praying America survives this Epstine Fury war.
Computer had me anon. And spell check replaced Ass Whipping with asserting.
DeleteThe destruction of Persian civilization by the Islamic invaders was but one of many tragedies that have obstructed the progress of humanity. Islam delenda est.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a long time ago when I lived in Michigan, it was "March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion". Easter with snow.
ReplyDelete