Just got here, the genset is humming and I'M WARM ENOUGH, BUT SOAKED! 1615...
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Vets coming out of the woodwork...M35A2 draws 'em in!
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The M35 is covered with Signs of the Resistance, "We the Band" is playing Southern rock, all is well @ 1748...
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Now we're into the Great American Oratory...the Soap Box, as it were, a phalanx of Portland's Finest is on hand to keep the two detachments of the Black Shirts at bay, but the cold rain is doing a better job on the Alpha Hotels. 1844/ temp 46
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That was an interesting hour...the antis got right in my face here, so I and several others just snapped away, and PJTV will do the photo interpretation. The cops just busted the loudest of them, and she's cuffed and stuffed...just had family drop by...oratory over, now second band, more metal....2015
The above subject in the red shirt - I made him to be a union organizer. Said little, didn't chant, everyone was defferential to him, mostly he just shot video and was in the middle of the anti-crowd.
Typical of the anti-demonstrators. The usual "Little Beirut" crowd. Note that the bike cops seem fairly relaxed at this point. I have reports now that the crowd, which (as depicted in the vids) was above on the high ground, suddenly discovered the M35A2, and tried to charge it. That provoked the bike cops to do an intercept maneuver, and this is where they wound up, right outside my cab door, with only that wrought-iron railing between them and your blogger. They were content to scream and curse, though, so MY arms remained concealed. All Soap Box action, no Cartridge Box required. BTW, that "Koch sucker" sign is a HUGE insult to Hizzoner the Queer Mayor. Frankly, I hope he's seen the vids and photos...
Here are some Blaze vids of the anti-action which Glen Beck linked. Made me wish that I'd bought that Gun Ring for the M35A2...
(I've seen what waving a quad-fifty tail barbette on a B-52D at Zengunro demonstrators on Okinawa in 1970 could do to scatter THAT mob)
Captain sez 15 min to go, got to get in the tear-down mode...10-8
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Wrap-up: tear-down went well, drive home at the edge of a warm front was interesting, but safe, but I FUBAR'd upon arriving home. In the dark, tried to back Adam into his slot on the RV pad, and even with guide-lights set, missed being square with the pad and knocked down half my gate, which now has to be repaired on a priority basis (means getting wet AGAIN)! (Repaired 4/16, thanx to the USMC Dau & engineer hubb).
I put out a family all-hands call at 2230 last night, we'll see how many respond today. Prolly have to reset the gate post, maybe replace it (it's not broken, but it's been in the ground 4 or 5 years, so it's half-gone). Then reassembly of the last fence section and then hang the gate, which is intact and undamaged. It's winter-soaked Cedar, and weighs about 180#, by my feeble attempts in trying to hoist it last night..
Then, there the not-inconsiderable job of stowing all the gear I'm drying out in the shed. Most of it goes right there, but has to be stowed for the shed to be useful again. Another big day breaks....0801 4-16-11
BTW, there are lots of photos of yesterday's action. I have to send them from my cell phone, one at a time, to my main puter, via email. It's very labor-intensive, so I will do that later. Got to fuel the body now and put the Carhartts on, it's gonna be a busy day...
JTG, Portland "anti's" are a motley group, most usually linked to one of several anarchist gangs in the city (yes, the anarchists actually DO organize here). They will protest almost anything. Their protests are characterized by COMPLETE refusal to link to any of THEIR own organizations (how do you ink to anarchists?). Information at the protest site had it that the AFL-CIO had sent some people to "lend direction" to the protesters, but I actually saw little evidence of that. A couple of people with the protest crowd seemed to stand out, but they weren't trying to herd those cats.
Main point, if you're protesting, you either oppose or you support. There was NO support for taxes, or even for Obama's programs, so we can safely assume that the anti's were there to stand about in the rain.
Posted by: Rivrdog | April 19, 2011 at 07:41
Umm, Sir, just what variety of antis were these people? I mean, were they "anti-war", "anti-racist", "anti-fascist", or just generally "anti", or what?
Oh, about the post with the cute AF gal in the pic at The Donovan's; while standing up in the bookstore a while back, I was reading a book purported to be written by some old SAS guys, about how to escape and evade. I heartily commend their advice to everyone, that if one has to walk around in a place with policemen in it, the first thing he should steal (only if he has to, of course) is a razor and some shaving cream. Since I've passed the age of 50, I've noticed that I can no longer go for a couple or three days without shaving without attracting official attention.
Posted by: Justthisguy | April 19, 2011 at 03:58