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Post by 2t2crash on Jan 8, 2021 4:21:18 GMT -6
I like it! Thanks for another chapter, Cutter
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Post by texican on Jan 8, 2021 17:45:07 GMT -6
C,
Thanks for the Chapter.
The Chapter stands with all of your other chapters and will be devoured by your readers.
Texican....
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Post by cutter on Jan 8, 2021 18:06:30 GMT -6
My now many, many other chapters.
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Post by texican on Jan 9, 2021 0:15:29 GMT -6
My now many, many other chapters. C, That will please your greedy readers. God bless us, America and President Trump and keep us free. Texican....
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Post by cutter on Jan 17, 2021 23:16:24 GMT -6
I had to threaten my Muse with getting a job, but it worked. Here's a bit more. Please, enjoy.
Chapter 55
(Sick Bay)
“Well Sarg, we had to call a civilian tech guy in, but it looks like the chip controlling the servo in your ankle joint failed because of vibration. I have to get it authorized, but I don’t see a problem with replacing it. It may take a couple of days.”
“That’s ok. It’s not as good, but I have another leg. I guess I’ll have to get someone else to lead my battalion’s morning PT; I can’t keep up on the old one. So, how much is it going to cost me?”
“Since you’re active duty, I’m pretty sure the Government gets to pay for this one, but you have to make Colonel to get the sound effects, and THEY cost six million dollars.”
“HA! I can do without the sound effects, Doc.”
“That’s Doc Sir to you...I’m already a Colonel.”
“Sorry, Sir.”
“I was teasing; everybody calls me Doc. Don’t sweat it. Doc, Colonel, and Sir are interchangeable to me; I wasn’t offended.”
“Thanks, Sir.”
“No problem. I’ve got your number; I’ll call you when it’s ready. Need anything else?”
“Pair of crutches would be nice so I can get to my ride and back to my other leg.”
“Nurse, a pair of crutches for the sergeant, please.”
“Sure, Doc.”
“See?”
(Rubycon, Brian’s office, Friday, 8 AM)
“Hey Mark, thanks for coming.”
“You called me and said you needed to talk to me. What was I going to do, say no? What’s up?”
“I have a volunteer list for you, but there’s a problem.”
“Couldn’t find 24 people?”
“Mark, there are 58 names on this list.”
“We can’t train that many at one time.”
“I know. How do you want to handle this?”
“Any background information? Past training? Secondary skills? Hobbies?”
“No. Mark, it didn’t occur to me to ask for any of that. I never dreamed interest would be this strong.”
“Neither did I. How many of them are in the security force?”
“Thirty-one.”
“OK. First off, we can’t pull that many out of the security force; that’s damn near all of them. Second, we planned to eventually train anybody in the security force who wanted it, up to our standard, over time. What do you think about this? How about I take the list, split it up, and each of the new lead pairs will go talk to the people on their list? We explain to everybody that there are too many volunteers for us to train them all at once. We ask for resumes to find the ones who will require the least training. When we get them, we select the best of them and train the trainers. From them, we form a training team and then select 8 more to backfill those positions. That would give us a fifth, dedicated training team, and more backup if we need it. It would be the trainers’ job to train the security force and anybody else who wants training. They would also be able to teach specific skills to people who don’t want to be security, like medical and survival.”
“You really thought this through!”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think I would have the manpower to put so much of it in practice so quickly. Brian, if we can do this right, it’s a game changer.”
“You have no idea. Three of those people are Pete’s deputies. They don’t really want to be full time team members, but they want the training to take back to the sheriff’s office. They want to be able to help Pete train their fellow deputies. Apparently, they were thinking like you are, and hoped we’d be amenable.”
“That’s a really good idea. How about we select 24 of these people to train, like I said, and assign all three of Pete’s people in addition, so they can do what they want too.”
“I like it. Do it that way.”
“Sounds good. Any word from Todd?”
“Not since we got Sarah and the kids here.”
“Let me know if you hear from him. I worry about him.”
“We all do. I will. You and Stacy interested in coming over to supper tonight?”
“Sure. Six?”
“Sounds good. No work, just visiting.”
“Sounds even better. We’ll see you then. I better go get on this.”
“Good luck, baby brother. Let me know if I can help.”
“With results like this, I don’t know how much more of your help we can stand. Seriously, I’ll let you know, because we’re definitely going to need the help.”
“I’ll be here.”
“I better get going. Thanks, Brian.”
(Oval Office)
“General Dunsford, thank you for coming.”
“I hate to point out the obvious, Sir; but when the President calls, the head of the Joint Chiefs answers. What may I do for you?”
“I broke protocol, and tradition, in recalling you to duty, to serve as head of the Joint Chiefs. I asked you to return to your position, because I believed you were the best person for the job. General, I have to ask you, who do you think is the best choice for your replacement?”
“Admiral Leighton, Sir. May I ask why you have lost confidence in me?”
“I have in no way lost confidence in you or your ability. General, I need you for another job, a civilian post. General, I’m sorry, but I can’t put an active duty General in the new post I need filled. Are you willing to leave the Joint Chiefs and go back into retirement, as far as the military is concerned? I wouldn’t ask you to do this, because I’m pleased beyond any expression I have with your performance, but I really need you.”
“Will tomorrow morning be soon enough to have my resignation on your desk?”
“More than soon enough. General, I want you to coordinate with Carol on our efforts with the current situation. I want you to coordinate the military and law enforcement response. General, it will be your job to take the safety and security arrangements of the Nation off Carol’s plate, so she can concentrate on finding the threat. If necessary, you will spearhead the response when she finds who’s doing this.”
“I do not presume to give orders to the President of the United States, but you are walking a very fine line here, Sir. While a case can be made that these are acts of war against the United States, on US soil; you’re coming very close to playing fast and loose with Posse Comitatus, Sir.”
“Just between us, I AM playing fast and loose with that. General, if you were in m y place, what would you do?”
“That’s not my decision to make, Sir.”
“DAMNIT, JOE! I’M THE PRESIDENT, NOT GOD! I’M ASKING FOR YOUR HELP HERE BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!”
“Jim, call all the Governors, all of them. Have them activate their entire National Guard contingents; if they won’t, federalize those units and deploy them yourself. Go to Congress and ask for an emergency declaration that specifically allows, and limits you, to 30 days of emergency powers. If that isn’t enough, you can go back to them and ask for additional time, in 30 day increments only. Publicly require that whatever resolution they pass should limit your emergency powers, including the ability to declare martial law and the suspension of posse comitatus or any other laws, to thirty days and subject to Congressional override by a vote of both houses of Congress. It should also clearly spell out the steps necessary for you to obtain an extension, if necessary, and that any action you take can be overridden by the appropriate vote of both houses of Congress. Sir, I know I don’t have to tell you that you should surrender those powers, the moment you are able.”
“I don’t want those powers in the first place; it flies in the face of our Constitution. You’re right, and that is the course I’m going to take, but I hate this.”
“I know you hate it, Jim. If I didn’t believe that, I would never have recommended this course of action. If a lesser man were President, I would have just recommended setting fire to our Constitution. Jim, you’re my President and my friend. I’ve spent most of my life defending our Nation against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. On the record, don’t make me regret my recommendation. My first loyalty is to our Country, and its people. I don’t think you will, but if you turn on our Constitution, and therefore our Citizenry, I will not stop until you’re stopped or I’m dead.”
“That, General Dunsford, is why I asked you to return to your post as head of the Joint Chiefs, and why I asked you to do this for me now. I give you my word, Sir, as a veteran, the President, and most importantly a Citizen; I will not betray our Nation. If you ever think I’m in danger of doing so, please tell me.”
“I guarantee it. You’ll have my resignation in the morning. Unless there’s something else, may I take my leave, Sir?”
Dismissed, General, and thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. President.”
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Post by texican on Jan 18, 2021 20:50:39 GMT -6
C,
Threatening your muse to go back to work, worked well.
Lots to do and not much time to do it.
Thanks,
Texican....
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Post by cutter on Jan 18, 2021 21:11:41 GMT -6
Did anyone spot the Easter egg in the last chapter?
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Post by texican on Jan 19, 2021 19:13:27 GMT -6
Did anyone spot the Easter egg in the last chapter? NO. Texican....
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Post by cutter on Jan 20, 2021 5:45:54 GMT -6
Colonel Steve Austin, The six million Dollar Man.
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Post by freebirde on Jan 20, 2021 16:59:59 GMT -6
Colonel Steve Austin, The six million Dollar Man. I thought that was a standard joke among those involved with prosthetics.
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Post by cutter on Jan 20, 2021 17:02:12 GMT -6
It is. One of my clients was a prosthetics facility.
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Post by texican on Jan 20, 2021 22:22:19 GMT -6
It is. One of my clients was a prosthetics facility. C, Your varid background definitely comes thru in your writings. Keep it up. Texican....
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Post by cutter on Jan 20, 2021 22:27:33 GMT -6
I've spent a career as an electrician. Much of that time has been in service call work.
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Post by papaof2 on Jan 21, 2021 15:44:49 GMT -6
Hmmm... A lifetime of spitzensparken ;-)
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Post by texican on Jan 21, 2021 16:02:24 GMT -6
Hmmm... A lifetime of spitzensparken ;-) Talk:Blinkenlights - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Blinkenlightshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Blinkenlights I guess it was intended as a warning to visiters to his ham shack to not mess with the transmitters as they contained very high voltage which could cause spitzensparken. ChardingLLNL 21:07, 30 March 2007 (UTC) Or maybe he modified it to apply to HAM radios rather than computers. jej1997 15:39, 13 March 2017 (UTC) pp2, Don't touch or get shocked. Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on Jan 21, 2021 19:34:26 GMT -6
Tex - even further back. The (often neon orange) signs were posted over CB radios ;-)
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remembergoliad
Member
if you send friend req on FB, message me too. I won't accept if I don't recognize you.
Posts: 158
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Post by remembergoliad on Jan 22, 2021 20:47:53 GMT -6
Whatever you call it, you don't want to let the magic smoke out of the housing!
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Post by texican on Jan 23, 2021 19:53:02 GMT -6
Whatever you call it, you don't want to let the magic smoke out of the housing! rg, That smoke could be due to a fire in the radio. If you open the door, will the smoke turn explosive? You never know. Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on Jan 23, 2021 21:11:15 GMT -6
Considering some of the early mods for the vacuum tube CBs, smoke and fire were not uncommon ;-)
The Johnson White Face radio was a popular subject for "upgrades" as it was originally designed for commercial radio service and literally "built like a tank". What 5 watt CB limit? Some of those radios could easily be modified for 10 watts in 5 minutes (most of that spent getting the case off and back on) and 20+ watts in an hour or so. Or would you rather have a 150-200 watt linear to go with your CB? I may still have the paper plans and schematic for one or more of those - but the tubes they used are becoming scarce; not much call for TV horizontal output tubes when the TVs are all solid state :-(
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Post by cutter on Jan 23, 2021 21:35:27 GMT -6
Yeah, there was a CB base station about three doors down from the house I grew up in. It freaked me right the hell out when I heard "Big Dog" calling for "Arizona Mike" over my stereo... My stereo was off. I was maybe 12 at the time.
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Post by freebirde on Jan 23, 2021 22:45:25 GMT -6
Yeah, there was a CB base station about three doors down from the house I grew up in. It freaked me right the hell out when I heard "Big Dog" calling for "Arizona Mike" over my stereo... My stereo was off. I was maybe 12 at the time. Had that happen to me when I was in my late teens, 45 +/- years ago, the CBer was parked in our driveway. One Sunday I was sitting near the side of the church nearest the road. I heard the sound of a local pick-up and heard over the new sound system during a baptismal service "It will all come out in the wash good buddy".
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Post by texican on Jan 24, 2021 16:42:57 GMT -6
When I traveled regularly, I used a CB for info and you could always tell when someone was close and blowing power, for the CB would go quiet.
Could pickup signals from guys talking about smokies at such and such mile marker that was miles and miles away and beyond my sending capabilities.
Power does work and will override everything around it.
Texican....
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Post by biggkidd on Jan 29, 2021 11:42:14 GMT -6
Happy to see more of this story rolling again.
Texas star units are fairly cheap and mostly clean power. My neighbor runs 10,000 watts of home brew linear.
500W Texas star in a mobile rig can be handy to bleed through speakers when people on the road are being a PITA! lol
One other thing I have noticed is when on the high side they can also cause electronics in vehicle's to malfunction or in some cases to just flat stop running! 98 Cherokee was terrible in fact! LMAO
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Post by cutter on Jan 29, 2021 16:59:27 GMT -6
Thanks for the tip
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Post by bluefox2 on Mar 11, 2021 10:33:07 GMT -6
Cutter, I hope you are well. I have now binge reread the whole clan story for the third time. Hope things turn out well
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