Teleidoscope

Fri, Apr 27, 2007

Small Wars Center of Excellence

Posted at 11:25 pm MDT to Technology

I just found (on rec.arts.sf.composition) a reference to a wonderful source for researching various topics for TechLands

The US Marine Corps has a Small Wars Center of Excellence website that has articles and reading lists for things like urban warfare in the 21st century.

I'm a little weak on the modern and postmodern stuff: most of the books I've bought from the Military Book Club over the years are Renaissance or earlier. Or Pre-Meiji Japan. Or high-level theory -- though I have to admit I haven't read much of my copy of Clausewitz (I blame the translator). Sun Tzu and Musashi and Machiavelli, yes, and some late 20th century stuff trying to do mathematical strategic analysis of different campaigns through history that was really fascinating.

The Marine Corps site also has things like a reprint (hard copy and pdf, I downloaded the pdf) of the Marine Corps Small Wars Manual 1940 edition, which includes things like logistics and planning for travelling with horses, or even oxcarts, as well as other practical considerations.

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Nice Weekend

Posted at 9:39 pm MDT to Weather

They are predicting beautiful weather this weekend: a high of 77 for tomorrow and 81 for Sunday.

I'm helping Nanette at Market again tomorrow (her usual help is out of town so I need to show up early). Considering what the temperature differentials are likely to be between 6:30 or 7:00 am and 2:00 pm, I'll need to wear lots of layers.

At least it's better than cold or rain or ...or ... that white stuff. I don't want to mention its name. It might be listening, and I'm really hopeful that my lilac bush might actually bloom in another week or two.

I took a close look at the lilac last week, and I think one reason it is still small is that the deer (also known as rats with antlers) have been browsing it. The top twigs look like they have been bitten off, though not recently.

Some of the yucca plants look seriously chewed on, too, but I think that was the rabbits. There are lots and lots of wild rabbits here, and when the snow was deep they wouldn't have been able to get at the grass they usually eat. Now that the weather is getting warmer and dryer I'm going to start putting out a dog waterdish for them again.

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