Konflikt '47, Fellowship & Russ

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A Konflikt ’47 game that Todd ran last weekend.

Unfortunately Captain America was not as formidable as he is in the movies.

Game Setup

Advancing Forward.

Soviet Ursus, Oh My!

Captain America

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Finished cleaning the yard this week, removing much of the acorns. Also managed to put down more grass seed. So far the temperature has been above freezing, so there are no leaves falling yet. 

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I finished reading “The Fellowship of The Rings,” by J.R.R. Tolkien. 

No matter how many times I read it, there is always more that I learn about the story and the characters. 

Altico.canalblog.com

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“Being autumn, I thought you'd like to know how the pre-Halloween holiday of Octoberfest started… Originally, this drinking party celebrated the end of harvest season, for the aristocracy figured that turning a portion of the harvest into alcohol would distract the serfs from figuring out the one-sided nature of the feudal system. 

Nowadays, most people are under the false impression that the celebration was always called Octoberfest, but that's not always been the case. This celebration was originally called Septemberfest because it used to be held in September, although admittedly, a particularly good harvest sometimes extended it into the next month, where it was called UberSeptemberFest -- a real party of a party. 

Indeed, ever since the Middle Ages, there was a well-known joyous saying to open the festivities: "Achtung, UberSeptemberFest ist hier!" Being impatient to start the party, town burgermeisters eventually shortened and simplified this to "Achtuberfest!" 

About this time, Englander tourists misheard the saying and came back home raving about this party called Octoberfest, which they immediately recognized as a good thing to appropriate and spread around the globe. And that's how the celebration came to be called Octoberfest.     Really.”

“Autumn Traditions in an 1805 Beergarden”  By Russ Lockwood 

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On October 25, 1854 Lord James Cardigan lead the British Light Cavalry Brigade against Russian guns and infantry. 

The Poem

The Charge of the Light Brigade

BY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON

I

Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death

   Rode the six hundred.

“Forward, the Light Brigade!

Charge for the guns!” he said.

Into the valley of Death

   Rode the six hundred.

II

“Forward, the Light Brigade!”

Was there a man dismayed?

Not though the soldier knew

   Someone had blundered.

   Theirs not to make reply,

   Theirs not to reason why,

   Theirs but to do and die.

   Into the valley of Death

   Rode the six hundred.

III

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them

   Volleyed and thundered;

Stormed at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of hell

   Rode the six hundred.

IV

Flashed all their sabres bare,

Flashed as they turned in air

Sabring the gunners there,

Charging an army, while

   All the world wondered.

Plunged in the battery-smoke

Right through the line they broke;

Cossack and Russian

Reeled from the sabre stroke

   Shattered and sundered.

Then they rode back, but not

   Not the six hundred.

V

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon behind them

   Volleyed and thundered;

Stormed at with shot and shell,

While horse and hero fell.

They that had fought so well

Came through the jaws of Death,

Back from the mouth of hell,

All that was left of them,

   Left of six hundred.

VI

When can their glory fade?

O the wild charge they made!

   All the world wondered.

Honour the charge they made!

Honour the Light Brigade,

   Noble six hundred!

My Favorite Movie

“The Charge of the Light Brigade”

1936 with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland

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Tomorrow at 8:00 PM, CBS, Notre Dame and Navy in San Diego. 

The Spiders did not win and now have a a week to prepare for Villanova at Homecoming Weekend, November 3rd.

Go Spiders!

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Carry Underwood - “Ever Ever After”

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Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.

Acorns, New Program & Alison

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I spent half the week raking acorns, leaves, and small branches, which have fallen from the trees. A result from the recent storms and the timing of the acorns which cycle every so many years. This is “the year” for the oak trees in our yard. I’m sure the squirrels are happy, but they can’t possibly eat all the acorns in my yard. Perhaps I should try to train them to gather the acorns and pile them back in the woods.

Scrat

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“When the oak is felled the whole forest echoes with it fall, but a hundred acorns are sown in silence by an unnoticed breeze.”

Thomas Carlyle

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Dee and I have been watching a new program, “God Friended Me.” It is interesting and has  some new actors that I haven’t seen before. Joe Morton is also in the series and plays the part of the Reverend Arthur Finer, father of Mile’s Finer. 

I like the story line and recommend that you take the time to watch it. 

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“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. 

Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision.

So write and draw and build and play and live as only you can.”

Neil Gaiman

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Minions Short Movie - Only four minutes long!

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The Irish Lads are still undefeated, although the win against Pitt was close. 

Next Saturday is my favorite game of the season. The Irish Lads are playing the Navy Midshipmen in San Diego. 

The Spiders did well in Albany and are now sitting at 3-4 overall. On Saturday they play against Elon in North Carolina.

Go Spiders!

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Elections ......

Apparently there are no candidates suitable for holding office. 
Both the incumbents and those who are seeking to replace them appear to be somewhat untruthful about their past. At least that is what each party proposes. 
So what do we do?
Choose the "lesser of two evils?"

No, that is not the only option. I found that by researching about the candidates, information on their religious beliefs usually sets one apart from the other. So, I try to go with the candidate closest to my Christian beliefs.

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Alison Krauss - “A Living Prayer”

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Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.

Soccer, Dishwasher & Christmas

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Last Saturday we went to Fredericksburg, Virginia to watch our granddaughter Ekaterina play soccer. Her team played well but were unable to capitalize on any of their shots on goal. Her parents, Todd and Lauren then took us to lunch at Fahrenheit 132 in Historic Downtown Fredericksburg. We enjoyed an excellent lunch while sitting outside. 

Afterward we walked down Caroline Street looking at all the different shops. 

Outside of R&R Antiques we met Elzie Kelley. He had some 1/72 scale historical dioramas on display there. Rorke’s Drift and the Battle of the Bulge were two that stood out to me. He does an excellent job on the miniature recreations. Elzie was also handing out some information on himself and why he created the dioramas.

"War in Miniature"

by Elzie Kelley

"I was born in 1967 in southwest Virginia. I love the outdoors, adventure, and horses. The dioramas I make take about one to two years to complete. After extensive historic research, the scene is planned and laid out to accurately capture a moment in time.

Each figure is hand painted. I want to take that moment and recreate it like a picture. I mainly do this to show my gratitude and honor in the past and the present. These figures represent the real heroes. In a time of dire need, they took on a great evil.

Remember how we became what we are today and that our freedom is not free. For what we enjoy now, some paid the ultimate price and others would bare the mental and physical scars of conflict forever.

Take just a moment, and if you see one these men or women of the military, just say thanks.

Keep history live!"

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Miniatures of Onondaga warriors on my blog.

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“The Church is like a great tree whose roots must be energetically anchored in the earth while its leaves are serenely exposed to the bright sunlight. In this way, she sums up a whole gamut of beats in a single living and all-embracing act, each one of which corresponds to a particular degree or a possible form of spiritualization.” 

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

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We had a local service company come out to look at our dishwasher. The dishwasher, a Bosch, is fine. What happened is that there was an error in the installation of the power cord box. Failure to tighten the wires correctly, caused a short in the power box. It has been replaced and everything is working fine. Hopefully the company that did the installation will assist in the payment of the repair.

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The second meeting of the Irish Lads against the “Hokies,” was an interesting game. The first half had both teams playing well. Notre Dame 17 and Virginia Tech 16. Either one of them looked like could win.

However, in the second half things changed, and the game ended with the Irish Lads winning 45-23. Watch the highlights here.

The Spiders continue to struggle, but there are still games to be played. They face the Albany Great Danes next.

Go Spiders!

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This is an article from NBC12 News, dated 10-10-18. It is written by Karina Bolster.

“MIDLOTHIAN, VA (WWBT) - A Chesterfield parent is concerned after he was told students would not be singing any Christmas songs with the word “Jesus” in them at upcoming concerts.

David Allen said he found out about the situation last week from his child who attends Robious Middle School.

"It just seems like... everywhere you look everyone's afraid of stepping on someone's toes or everything is being so sensitive," Allen said.

This is not the first time his child has taken part in the winter concert; but it’s the first time something like this has happened.

"They were unable to [sing this song] because the word Jesus was in there and apparently someone assumed it was of a sacred nature," Allen said. Following his conversation with his child, Allen emailed the chorus teacher

He provided NBC12 with a copy of the email exchange where the teacher responded to Allen’s concerns writing in part, “We had a few students who weren't comfortable singing a piece I have done many times in the past, but it is of a sacred nature and does mention Jesus."

"At the same time that I had gotten this information I had got a diversity notice from Robious Middle School regarding a club they have or a meeting," Allen said.

According to the teacher's email, after speaking with school administrators it was decided they would avoid singing anything of a direct sacred nature in order to be more sensitive to the increasing diverse population at the school.

However Allen said that statement confuses him.

"I'm trying to rationalize how you can encourage diversity and yet be exclusionary in one specific area," he said.

Allen admits he doesn’t know which Christmas song referencing Jesus was excluded, given the number of songs that mention him.

The Robious Middle parent adds he has nothing against the teacher or the school, but is hoping to have more of a conversation with them about opening the student's minds.

"They all can get a feel of each individual religion, ethnicity and nationality have to offer,” Allen said. “It's a school, it's a learning educational experience… I wouldn’t object to my children singing a Hindu songs during their celebratory period of time."

Tuesday afternoon Chesterfield County Schools spokesman Shawn Smith said he reached out to administrators at Robious Middle School for more information about this concern, but has yet to hear back.

Copyright 2018 WWBT. All rights reserved."

My Questions:

If one is celebrating "Christmas," how is it possible to refrain from using, singing or even mentioning the word "Jesus?'

"Christmas" is the celebration of "Christ's" birth. How does one eliminate "His" name of one is celebrating "His" birth?

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Kenny Rogers - Lucille

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Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.

Keepers of the Central Fire

“Onondaga (the keepers of the Central Fire) is considered to be the capital of the Haudenosaunee, a name meaning “People of the Longhouse”. The Haudenosaunee are sometimes referred to as the Iroquois Confederacy, or Six Nations.”

The photo below shows my most recent figures for the village of Briartun. They are a small group of Onondaga warriors that are scouting for French and Huron raiders. 

Leading them is an experienced warrior named Taiga. 

Fortunately the area is clear. They will return to their village for a couple of days rest and then head out again.

I have borrowed the name Taiga from the writings of Joseph Alexander Altsheler. The author has written six novels on the French and Indian 

War. They are an excellent read. 

The figures are Old Glory Indians FIW25-1.

Fr. Dave, The Phantom & Sun

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This week our prayer group viewed a new study series. It is from the Ministry of the Wild Goose with Father Dave Pivonka, TOR. 

The program is a 14 part series which includes on-line videos and study materials. It focuses on how the Holy Spirit can help us get closer to God. 

The first video was well accepted and everyone liked the presentation. 

Father Dave is a good speaker and each video segments takes place in a different city of the United States.

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One of my favorite Sunday morning paper comics, 

“The Phantom”

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"After the keen still days of September, the October sun filled the world with mellow warmth ... The maple tree in front of the doorstep burned like a gigantic red torch. The oaks along the roadway glowed yellow and bronze. The fields stretched like a carpet of jewels, emerald and topaz and garnet. Everywhere she walked the color shouted and sang around her.”     Elizabeth George Speare

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Our dishwasher stopped running. I cleaned the trap and the waste water pump, but found nothing. The power switch doesn’t seem to be working nor are there any lights on the display panel. It may be an electrical issue. The warranty expired in May of this year, so I’ll see what transpires from the repair. 

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The Irish Lads played an excellent game against Stanford, but the season is not over. They  are going to Virginia to face the “Hokies.” This will be the second meeting of these two great teams. Read about them at Hokie Sports.

I’m looking forward to an exciting game.

I knew that the James Madison game was going to be tough. Perhaps this week’s game against Delaware will be better.

Go Spiders!

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The rain has finally stopped which is good because my yard no longer has any pools of  water. But, it’s a “double edge sword” because now we have a week of unseasonably warm, sunny weather. That means I have to water the lawn more than I anticipated.

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Jay & The Americans - “Come A Little Bit Closer”

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Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.