Good morning!
However bad today may seem for you, it was a worse day for Nixon, for today was the day back in 1974 that the House Judiciary Committee recommended that he be impeached and removed from office.
Apparently Stalin also outlawed “cowards” on this day in 1943. Govern yourselves accordingly.
On the science side, there was an amazing breakthrough in Canada in 1921 when insulin was isolated by Frederick Banting and Charles Best in an effort to prevent and treat diabetes.
Over in Poland, the furry Princess may or may not be thinking of higher things.
Olaf: What do cats most enjoy talking about?
Hili: Allow me to ponder that question for a moment.
In Polish:
Olaf: O czym najchętniej rozmawiają koty?
Hili: Pozwól, że się zastanowię.
Meanwhile in Africa, genets rides rhinos like cowboys. (With youtube of a later apparently fed up black rhino. Annoyingly though it describes the genet as “a small spotted cat” minstead of “cat-like animal”.)
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150727-animals-science-rhinos-riding-genets-africa/
“Craig Sholley, wildlife biologist and vice president of the African Wildlife Foundation, says genets likely jump on big herbivores to search for food.”
Maybe that could feed Hili’s conversation for a while. Or getting her appetite up…
“Minstead” or yours? [New keyboard, new key spacing.]
Stalin outlawed cowards…that should do it. How would you know? If they are still alive.
This policy led to the death of millions upon millions of Russian soldiers in WWII. They weren’t allowed to retreat under any circumstances. Russia’s losses were far greater than any other country in WWII. His own son was captured in battle and subsequently disowned.
I did not know that!
The date in the link is incorrect – Order No. 227 was issued on July 28, 1942. Soviet “barrier troops” [often SMERSH or NKVD units] may have killed as many as 150,000 of their own men over the course of the war, including some 15,000 during the Battle of Stalingrad.
At one point penal [meaning the soldiers were prisoners] battalions were positioned behind the front line to capture or kill anyone who appeared to be deserting. These prisoner battalions were themselves under guard from SMERSH/NKVD units positioned even further back.
The barrier troops idea was quietly retired in the last year of the war because it didn’t achieve a better result & it lowered morale. Most troops don’t retreat – they’re too emotionally connected to their fellows in their combat unit to abandon them.
You could also be shot on the spot for losing your rifle. It was quite common to find oneself suddenly behind enemy lines in the wide open & fluid eastern front battles – pretending to be a civilian could get you back to your own lines. Tough to do if you’re lugging a rifle, but maybe fatal bad move if you can’t produce a weapon when you report back to your own side.
Perhaps Ms Hili is pondering upon cherries? Ya’ know, … … because P I E !
Your trees’ harvest ongoing or very, very soon now, Ms Koraszewska / Mr Koraszewski?
Blue
The harves started today and was promptly interrupted by rain.
Feel free to send as much of that rain as you’d like to Arizona….
b&