Electricity Prices Highest on Record for May

Electricity Prices Highest on Record for May | CNS News:
"The price of electricity in the United States for May was 13.1 cents per kilowatt hour (KWH), which is the highest it has been on record for that month, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which tracks the price going all the way back to 1984."

14,000 Abandoned Wind Turbines in the USA

14,000 Abandoned Wind Turbines in the USA:
"The US has had wind farms since 1981, what the left and the green movement don't want to talk about regarding windmills is (as usual) the truth.
The truth is: windmills, like solar panels, break down.
And like solar panels, windmills produce less energy before they break down than the energy it took to make them. 
That's the part liberals forget: making windmills and solar panels takes energy, energy from coal, oil, and diesel, energy that extracts and refines raw materials, energy that transports those materials to where they will be re-shaped into finished goods, energy to manufacture those goods.
More energy than those finished windmills and solar panels will ever produce."

Gettysburg Pickett's Charge

Longstreet looked for ways to avoid ordering the charge by attempting to pass responsibility to young Col. Alexander, but he eventually did give the order himself non-verbally; when Alexander notified Pickett that he was running dangerously short of ammunition—"Come quick or my ammunition will not let me support you properly"—Longstreet nodded reluctantly to Pickett's request to step off. For Pickett, there was virtually no Confederate artillery with ammunition available to support his assault directly.^[21]

Infantry assault

Cemetery Ridge, looking south along the ridge with Little Round Top and Big Round Top in the distance. The monument in the foreground is the 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument.

The entire force that stepped off toward the Union positions at about 2 p.m.^[14] consisted of about 12,500 men.^[22] Although the attack is popularly called a "charge", the men marched deliberately in line, to speed up and then charge only when they were within a few hundred yards of the enemy. The line consisted of Pettigrew and Trimble on the left, and Pickett to the right. The nine brigades of men stretched over a mile-long (1,600 m) front. The Confederates encountered heavy artillery fire while advancing nearly three quarters of a mile across open fields to reach the Union line and were slowed by fences in their path. These obstacles played a huge role in the large number of casualties the advancing Confederates faced. The ground between Seminary Ridge and Cemetery Ridge is slightly undulating, and the advancing troops periodically disappeared from the view of the Union cannoneers. As the three Confederate divisions advanced, awaiting Union soldiers began shouting "Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!" in reference to the disastrous Union advance on the Confederate line during the 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg. Fire from Lt. Col. Freeman McGilvery's concealed artillery positions north of Little Round Top raked the Confederate right flank, while the artillery fire from Cemetery Hill hit the left. Shell and solid shot in the beginning turned to canister and musket fire as the Confederates came within 400 yards of the Union line. The mile-long front shrank to less than half a mile (800 m) as the men filled in gaps that appeared throughout the line and followed the natural tendency to move away from the flanking fire.^[23]

On the left flank of the attack, Brockenbrough's brigade was devastated by artillery fire from Cemetery Hill. They were also subjected to a surprise musket fusillade from the 8th Ohio Infantry regiment. The 160 Ohioans, firing from a single line, so surprised Brockenbrough's Virginians—already demoralized by their losses to artillery fire—that they panicked and fled back to Seminary Ridge, crashing through Trimble's division and causing many of his men to bolt as well. The Ohioans followed up with a successful flanking attack on Davis's brigade of Mississippians and North Carolinians, which was now the left flank of Pettigrew's division. The survivors were subjected to increasing artillery fire from Cemetery Hill. More than 1,600 rounds were fired at Pettigrew's men during the assault. This portion of the assault never advanced much farther than the sturdy fence at the Emmitsburg Road. By this time, the Confederates were close enough to be fired on by artillery canister and Alexander Hays' division unleashed very effective musketry fire from behind 260 yards of stone wall, with every rifleman of the division lined up as many as four deep, exchanging places in line as they fired and then fell back to reload.^[24]

Trimble's division of two brigades followed Pettigrew's, but made poor progress. Confusing orders from Trimble caused Lane to send only 3½ of his North Carolina regiments forward. Renewed fire from the 8th Ohio and the onslaught of Hays's riflemen prevented most of these men from getting past the Emmitsburg Road. Scales's North Carolina brigade, led by Col. William L. J. Lowrance, started with a heavier disadvantage—they had lost almost two-thirds of their men on July 1. They were also driven back and Lowrance was wounded. The Union defenders also took casualties, but Hays encouraged his men by riding back and forth just behind the battle line, shouting "Hurrah! Boys, we're giving them hell!". Two horses were shot out from under him. Historian Stephen W. Sears calls Hays's performance "inspiring".^[26]

On the right flank, Pickett's Virginians crossed the Emmitsburg Road and wheeled partially to their left to face northeast. They marched in two lines, led by the brigades of Brig. Gen. James L. Kemper on the right and Brig. Gen. Richard B. Garnett on the left; Brig. Gen. Lewis A. Armistead's brigade followed closely behind. As the division wheeled to the left, its right flank was exposed to McGilvery's guns and the front of Doubleday's Union division on Cemetery Ridge. Stannard's Vermont Brigade marched forward, faced north, and delivered withering fire into the rear of Kemper's brigade. At about this time, General Hancock, who had been prominent in displaying himself on horseback to his men during the Confederate artillery bombardment, was wounded by a bullet striking the pommel of his saddle, entering his inner right thigh along with wood fragments and a large bent nail. He refused evacuation to the rear until the battle was settled.^[27]

As Pickett's men advanced, they withstood the defensive fire of first Stannard's brigade, then Harrow's, and then Hall's, before approaching a minor salient in the Union center, a low stone wall taking an 80-yard right-angle turn known afterward as "The Angle." It was defended by Brig. Gen. Alexander S. Webb's Philadelphia Brigade. Webb placed the two remaining guns of (the severely wounded) Lt. Alonzo Cushing's Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, at the front of his line at the stone fence, with the 69th and 71st Pennsylvania regiments of his brigade to defend the fence and the guns. The two guns and 940 men could not match the massive firepower that Hays's division, to their right, had been able to unleash.^[28]

Two gaps opened up in the Union line: the commander of the 71st Pennsylvania ordered his men to retreat when the Confederates came too close to the Angle; south of the copse of trees, the men of the 59th New York (Hall's brigade) inexplicably bolted for the rear. In the latter case, this left Captain Andrew Cowan and his 1st New York Independent Artillery Battery to face the oncoming infantry. Assisted personally by artillery chief Henry Hunt, Cowan ordered five guns to fire double canistersimultaneously. The entire Confederate line to his front disappeared. The gap vacated by most of the 71st Pennsylvania, however, was more serious, leaving only a handful of the 71st, 268 men of the 69th Pennsylvania, and Cushing's two 3-inch rifled guns to receive the 2,500 to 3,000 men of Garnett's and Armistead's brigades as they began to cross the stone fence. The Irishmen of the 69th Pennsylvania resisted fiercely in a melee of rifle fire, bayonets, and fists. Webb, mortified that the 71st had retreated, attempted to bring the 72nd Pennsylvania (a Zouave regiment) forward, but for some reason they did not obey the order, so he had to bring other regiments in to help fill the gap. During the fight, the severely wounded Lt. Cushing was killed as he shouted to his men, three bullets striking him, the third in his mouth. The Confederates seized his two guns and turned them to face the Union troops, but they had no ammunition to fire. As more Union reinforcements arrived and charged into the breach, the defensive line became impregnable and the Confederates began to slip away individually, with no senior officers remaining to call a formal retreat.^[29]

The infantry assault lasted less than an hour. The supporting attack by Wilcox and Lang on Pickett's right was never a factor; they did not approach the Union line until after Pickett was defeated, and their advance was quickly broken up by McGilvery's guns and by the Vermont Brigade.^[30]

Aftermath[edit]

While the Union lost about 1,500 killed and wounded, the Confederate casualty rate was over 50%. Pickett's division suffered 2,655 casualties (498 killed, 643 wounded, 833 wounded and captured, and 681 captured, unwounded). Pettigrew's losses are estimated to be about 2,700 (470 killed, 1,893 wounded, 337 captured). Trimble's two brigades lost 885 (155 killed, 650 wounded, and 80 captured). Wilcox's brigade reported losses of 200, Lang's about 400. Thus, total losses during the attack were 6,555, of which at least 1,123 Confederates were killed on the battlefield, 4,019 were wounded, and a good number of the injured were also captured. Confederate prisoner totals are difficult to estimate from their reports; Union reports indicated that 3,750 men were captured.^[31]

The casualties were also high among the commanders of the charge. Trimble and Pettigrew were the most senior casualties of the day; Trimble lost a leg, and Pettigrew received a minor wound to the hand (only to die from a bullet to the abdomen suffered in a minor skirmish during the retreat to Virginia).^[32] In Pickett's division, 26 of the 40 field grade officers (majors, lieutenant colonels, and colonels) were casualties— 12 killed or mortally wounded, nine wounded, four wounded and captured, and one captured.^[33] All of his brigade commanders fell: Kemper was wounded seriously, captured by Union soldiers, rescued, and then captured again during the retreat to Virginia; Garnett and Armistead were killed. Garnett had a previous leg injury and rode his horse during the charge, despite knowing that conspicuously riding a horse into heavy enemy fire would mean almost certain death. Armistead, known for leading his brigade with his cap on the tip of his sword, made the farthest progress through the Union lines. He was mortally wounded, falling near "The Angle" at what is now called the High Water Mark of the Confederacy. Ironically, the Union troops that fatally wounded Armistead were under the command of his old friend, Winfield S. Hancock, who was himself severely wounded in the battle. Per his dying wishes, General Longstreet delivered Armistead's Bible and other personal effects to General Hancock's wife, Almira.^[34] Of the 15 regimental commanders in Pickett's division, the Virginia Military Institute produced 11 and all were casualties—six killed, five wounded.^[35]

Stuart's cavalry action in indirect support of the infantry assault was unsuccessful. He was met and stopped by Union cavalry under the command of Brig. Gen. David McM. Gregg about three miles (5 km) to the east, in East Cavalry Field.^[36]

As soldiers straggled back to the Confederate lines along Seminary Ridge, Lee feared a Union counteroffensive and tried to rally his center, telling returning soldiers and Gen. Wilcox that the failure was "all my fault." General Pickett was inconsolable for the rest of the day and never forgave Lee for ordering the charge. When Lee told Pickett to rally his division for the defense, Pickett allegedly replied, "General Lee, I have no division."^[37]

Gov. Rick Snyder: Buena Vista, Inkster school dissolution will start in 'days, not months'

Gov. Rick Snyder: Buena Vista, Inkster school dissolution will start in 'days, not months' | MLive.com:
"a Detroit News report Tuesday indicated Pontiac schools may not be able to complete the school year because of $34 million in unpaid bills to a host of agencies and businesses."

Thorium nuclear reactor trial begins, could provide cleaner, safer, almost-waste-free energy

Thorium nuclear reactor trial begins, could provide cleaner, safer, almost-waste-free energy | ExtremeTech: "....thorium fuel, which is safer, less messy to clean up, and not prone to nuclear weapons proliferation, could quench the complaints of nuclear power critics everywhere."

Gettysburg - Chamberlain´s Charge-150 years ago today

July 2, 1863

On the western slope he placed the 16th Michigan, and then proceeding counterclockwise were the 44th New York, the 83rd Pennsylvania, and finally, at the end of the line on the southern slope, the 20th Maine. Arriving only ten minutes before the Confederates, Vincent ordered his brigade to take cover and wait, and he ordered Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, commander of the 20th Maine, to hold his position, the extreme left of the Army of the Potomac, at all costs. Chamberlain and his 385 men^[11] waited for what was to come.^[12]

Battle of Little Round Top[edit]

Battle of Little Round Top, initial assault.

  Confederate

  Union

The approaching Confederates were the Alabama Brigade of Hood's Division, commanded by Brig. Gen. Evander Law. (As the battle progressed and Law realized he was in command of the division, Col. James L. Sheffield was eventually notified to assume brigade command.) Dispatching the 4th, 15th, and 47th Alabama, and the 4th and 5th Texas to Little Round Top, Law ordered his men to take the hill. The men were exhausted, having marched more than 20 miles (32 km) that day to reach this point. The day was hot and their canteens were empty; Law's order to move out reached them before they could refill their water.^[13] Approaching the Union line on the crest of the hill, Law's men were thrown back by the first Union volley and withdrew briefly to regroup. The 15th Alabama, commanded by Col. William C. Oates, repositioned further right and attempted to find the Union left flank.^[14]

The left flank consisted of the 358 men of the 20th Maine regiment and the 83rd Pennsylvania. Seeing the Confederates shifting around his flank, Chamberlain first stretched his line to the point where his men were in a single-file line, then ordered the southernmost half of his line to swing back during a lull following another Confederate charge. It was there that they "refused the line"—formed an angle to the main line in an attempt to prevent the Confederate flanking maneuver. Despite heavy losses, the 20th Maine held through two subsequent charges by the 15th Alabama and other Confederate regiments for a total of ninety minutes.^[15]

On the final charge, knowing that his men were out of ammunition, that his numbers were being depleted, and further knowing that another charge could not be repulsed, Chamberlain ordered a maneuver that was considered unusual for the day: He ordered his left flank, which had been pulled back, to advance with bayonets in a "right-wheel forward" maneuver. As soon as they were in line with the rest of the regiment, the remainder of the regiment charged, akin to a door swinging shut. This simultaneous frontal assault and flanking maneuver halted and captured a good portion of the 15th Alabama.^[16]

Most historians credit Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain for the bayonet charge on Little Round Top.

Lt. Holman S. Melcherwas later credited by others with leading or initiating the bayonet charge.

Recently published research^[17] has presented claims that Lt. Holman S. Melcher initiated the charge, although Chamberlain has been credited by most historians for ordering the advance. Chamberlain's version of the story is that he decided to order the charge before Lt. Melcher requested permission to advance the center of the line toward a boulder ledge where some of the men were wounded and unable to move. Admiring the lieutenant's bravery and compassion, Chamberlain agreed and sent him back to his company, telling him that he was about to order the entire regiment forward. As Melcher returned to his men, the shouts of "Bayonet!" were already working their way down the line.^[18]

During their retreat, the Confederates were subjected to a volley of rifle fire from Company B of the 20th Maine, commanded by Captain Walter G. Morrill, and a few of the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters, who had been placed by Chamberlain behind a stone wall 150 yards to the east, hoping to guard against an envelopment. This group, who had been hidden from sight, caused considerable confusion in the Confederate ranks.^[16]

Thirty years later, Chamberlain received a Medal of Honor for his conduct in the defense of Little Round Top. The citation read that it was awarded for "daring heroism and great tenacity in holding his position on the Little Round Top against repeated assaults, and carrying the advance position on the Great Round Top."^[19]

Coast West Fest in Muskegon ROCKS!

What a great night!
I was concerned that 1st day jitters would be evident but "Wow" is the word as this crew really knows how to put on a perfect show.
Everything that made our beloved Summer Celebration Pure Fun is back on our beautiful lakeshore.
And more.
Easy-to-find and inexpensive or free parking.
Fab summer food (deep fried Twinkies!) that would send NYC's nanny Bloomberg into fits of recipe rage. (YES!)
16oz beers!
Cabernet!
A solid and friendly police presence with military booths. (You MUST bring your kids-especially the little ones- to the National Guard climbing wall!)
But the new "3 Stages/One Ticket" really made this a unique event.
Choose your music, change your venue, relax by the shore or jam in the mosh pit.
Or do it all as we did, trying each stage….. a few times each.
The carnival will be missed by some but it really reduces the crowds and opens up the entire park for a different feel at each stage.
Though more tables/benches would be nice on the point.
Thanks to M-Live and the other sponsors.
Come on Muskegon, this is your town and your festival.
$25/night is the bargain of the millennium!
Coast West is a first class event.

http://www.coastwestfestival.com/

JULY 2

LOCATION: Heritage Landing Stage

7:00pm Foghat

9:00pm CHEAP TRICK

LOCATION: MLive Stage

5:30 – 6:45pm Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys

7:30 – 8:45pm Polyphonic Spree 

LOCATION: First General Credit Union Stage

6:00 - 8:00pm Coldville

8:30 – 11:00pm After Effect

JULY 3

LOCATION: Heritage Landing Stage

7:00pm Blue Oyster Cult

9:00pm Chicago

LOCATION: MLive Stage

5:30 – 6:45pm Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers

7:30 – 8:45pm Here Come The Mummies

LOCATION: First General Credit Union Stage

6:00 - 8:00pm Red Stone Riot

8:30 - 11:00pm Orange October  

JULY 4

LOCATION: Heritage Landing Stage

7:00pm LeAnn Rimes

9:00pm Josh Turner

LOCATION: MLive Stage

5:30pm Drowning Pool

7:15pm Ugly Kid Joe

LOCATION: First General Credit Union Stage

6:00 - 7:30pm The Blockhouse Acoustics

8:00 - 10:25pm Time Wise 

10:30pm – Fourth of July Fireworks

Enjoy West Michigan’s Best Fireworks Display!

LOCATION: Heritage Landing

JULY 5

Lakeshore Art Festival

LOCATION: Downtown Muskegon

12:00pm – 7:00pm

LOCATION: Heritage Landing Stage

7:00pm The Vincent Hayes Project

9:00pm Buddy Guy with Jonny Lang and his Band

LOCATION: MLive Stage

5:30pm The Ragbirds

7:30pm Kris Allen

LOCATION: First General Credit Union Stage

6:00 - 8:00pm Whoopee Kat

8:30 - 11:00pm Yard Sale Underwear

JULY 6

Lakeshore Art Festival

LOCATION: Downtown Muskegon

10:00am – 7:00pm

LOCATION: Heritage Landing Stage

7:00pm Hinder

9:00pm Three Days Grace

LOCATION: MLive Stage

5:30 – 6:30pm Steve Rivers

7:15 – 8:45pm Gregg Allman

LOCATION: First General Credit Union Stage

6:00 - 8:00pm Carl Webb Band

8:30 - 11:00pm Ruth and Max Bloomquist    

Census: Michigan 1 of 4 states with fewer college-educated young professionals in 2011 than 2006

Census: Michigan 1 of 4 states with fewer college-educated young professionals in 2011 than 2006 | MLive.com:
"While one recent study shows Michigan is retaining more college graduates than it did five years ago, Census stats show the state actually has fewer college-educated young professionals than in 2006."

The miniscule upside

Blog: The miniscule upside:
"Wattsupwiththat notes the mind boggling idiocy of the President's war on coal:
the reality is that Chris Hope, an ardent supporter of the War on CoalTM, using the most optimistic (and unattainable) assumptions, says that IF we win the War on Coal and we put hundreds of people out of work and increase the cost of electricity for poor and wealthy alike (although obviously, Obama and his rich pals don't care about the cost increase), here's our prize.
Here's what Chris Hope says we've bought for the all the pain and suffering:
In the year 2100 the world might be 0.02°C cooler.
Two hundredths of a degree in a century.
Maybe.
That's the prize.
That's what Chris Hope has proudly announced will be the reward for the job loss and the pain and suffering of the poor."

Gov’t Unveils New Snack Standards for Schools: Donuts Out, Fruit Cups In

Gov’t Unveils New Snack Standards for Schools: Donuts Out, Fruit Cups In | CNS News:
"The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, championed by Mrs. Obama, established the new standards, which go beyond school menus to include all food items sold in schools."

Don’t be Fooled: Uncle Sam Is Still Bankrupt

Don’t be Fooled: Uncle Sam Is Still Bankrupt | Cato @ Liberty:
"The latest excitement has been caused by the recent Congressional Budget Office study detailing new budget projections.
The federal budget deficit this year will be “only” $642 billion.
That’s one-sixth of total federal outlays and 50 percent higher than that pre-Obama record deficit in 2008"

'LOL, JK': Texas teen faces 8 years in prison for making 'terroristic threat' online

'LOL, JK': Texas teen faces 8 years in prison for making 'terroristic threat' online - Washington Times:
"Justin Carter was 18 back in February when a dispute over the online video game “League of Legends took an ugly turn on Facebook, KHOU.com reported.

“Someone had said something to the effect of ‘Oh you’re insane, you’re crazy, you’re messed up in the head,’ to which he replied, ‘Oh yeah, I’m real messed up in the head, I’m going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still, beating hearts,’ and the next two lines were lol and jk,” said Jack Carter, Justin’s father.

A woman from Canada saw the posting, did a Google search and found Mr. Carter’s old address was near an elementary school and she called police, he told KHOU.com.

Justin Carter was arrested the next month and has been jailed since March 27, KHOU.com reported. He’s charged with making a terroristic threat and is facing eight years in prison, according to his dad.

“These people are serious. They really want my son to go away to jail for a sarcastic comment that he made,” the elder Mr. Carter said."

Going Home - ESPN Video - ESPN

SC Featured: Going Home - ESPN Video - ESPN:
MUST SEE VIDEO!
Vets coming home to their families.
Grab a hankie......grab a box of hankies!
Wonderful!

New map may explain Lee's decisions at Gettysburg

New map may explain Lee's decisions at Gettysburg | The Detroit News:
"Why did the shrewd and canny Lee choose to attack, especially in the face of the Union’s superior numbers?
While historians have long wrestled with that question, geographers and cartographers have come up with an explanation, by way of sophisticated mapping software that shows the rolling terrain exactly as it would have appeared to Lee:
From his vantage point, he simply couldn’t see throngs of Union soldiers amid the hills and valleys."

Five things to know about Muskegon Bike Time and downtown farmers market proposed compromise

Five things to know about Muskegon Bike Time and downtown farmers market proposed compromise | MLive.com:

Inconvenient truths about the manmade global warming Scare

Inconvenient truths about the manmade global warming Scare - Columbia Public Policy | Examiner.com: "The truth about the manmade global warming (MGW) scare is that much of what people know is not true and there is a lot people don't know.
As the computer models fall apart, proponents of MGW have had to resort to outright fraud in some cases. (YOU MUST READ THIS!!!)"

Detroit EM axes council head, union pacts, agency

Detroit EM axes council head, union pacts, agency | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com:
"Contracts for the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Council 25 and the Detroit Police Lieutenants & Sergeants Association will end when they expire in the coming weeks, said Bill Nowling, spokesman for state-appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr"

The Civil War

The Civil War | Special Reports | Smithsonian Magazine

Newest foot soldiers for ObamaCare: Librarians

Newest foot soldiers for ObamaCare: Librarians « Hot Air:

"Libraries will be particularly important in conservative states that are not making much effort to promote the health law’s opportunities."

Don’t think of it as conscription, think of it as … repurposing. The more ubiquitous the Internet and e-readers get, the less use people have for libraries and thus the further away from their core function libraries will drift. In theory they’re still about book-lending but credit the feds for recognizing their growing role as places lower-income people can get online for free. Per Gallup’s latest, fully 43 percent of the uninsured have no idea that they’re now stautorily required by Hopenchange to seek coverage. If you’re trying to reach the poor to let them know that they qualify for health insurance subsidies — or, rather, that they don’t qualify — then this is a no-brainer. Coming soon, presumably: Deputizing the postal service, another institution that’s being laid to waste by technology, to start selling policies door to door. Ever heard the expression that the federal government is now really just “an insurance company with an army”? Well, the insurance part of that equation needs an army too.

What's Really 'Immoral' About Student Loans

Glenn Harlan Reynolds: What's Really 'Immoral' About Student Loans - WSJ.com:
"If we want to solve the very real problem of excessive student-loan debt, college costs need to be brought under control.
A 2010 study by the Goldwater Institute identified "administrative bloat" as a leading reason for higher costs. The study found that many American universities now have more salaried administrators than teaching faculty"