ChrisMerchant's Blog

We've come a long way thanks to Ike.

    The shrimp that families in Indianapolis will be having for dinner tonight, over 1000 miles away from where they were caught in Tampa Bay, were probably swimming 4 days ago. This concept is common place today. Just 50 years ago, the cost of 40,000 pounds of shrimp being maintained at -10F and transported 1000 miles would have been astronomical. Now: $2500.
    Lieutenant Colonel Dwight David Eisenhower, who later became a General and the Supreme Allied Commander during WWII, was an observer on the first Transcontinental Motor Convoy in 1919. The Convoy took what we now call "the scenic route" from Washington DC to San Francisco, predominantly taking US 30 from Gettysburg west. It took 2 months. Today it takes 4 days.
    The Interstate System, which bears Eisenhower’s name today, was built for the purpose of transporting government freight (commonly known as military equipment, troops and supplies) and the development of interstate commerce. It's not there for cars... they came as an afterthought. It was designed for trucks and the military.
    Ike saw what Hitler did with the Autobahn and expanded on it, 100-fold. That's pretty neat, huh? Guess what else he installed...

    Ike was the most powerful General EVER. Sun Tzu, Gengis Khan, Hannibal, Xerxes, they had nothing on him. Ike was a great chess player. The loops or bypasses around every major metropolitan area, you know, the roads that make going around a city easier, like 287 in New York, 265 in Louisville, and 417 here in Orlando. Yeah, that really quick way to avoid all those lights and traffic? Imagine a sentry every 10 feet with an M16 on his shoulder and a tank every 100 yards. That bypass is also there in the event of a civil insurrection.

And you wonder why I worry about who becomes the next President...

For those of you who remember me: The Thought Police failed. :-)

 

Do you have a red shirt on today? It's Friday. It's supposed to show your support for the troops. I'm reminded of a cadence, drilled into my "grape" by a Drill Instructor at Parris Island.

 Back in 1775
My Marine Corps came alive
First there came the color gold
To show the world that we are bold
Then there came the color red
To show the world the blood we shed
Then there came the color green
To show the world that we are mean
Then there came the color blue
To show the world that we are true

 

The Marine Corps flag is a field of RED with GOLD lettering, honoring the BLOOD shed by the BOLD defending this country and the freedoms we all enjoy.

 Are you wearing red?

Was your American Flag "Hecho en Mexico"? China?