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No time for love, Dr. Jones

By lex, on December 17th, 2006

Final exam, systems optimization, linear and non-linear integer problems, Pareto optimalities, etc.

Sure you’ll understand.

Talk amongst yerselves.

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December 17th, 2006 | Category: Blogging

19 comments to No time for love, Dr. Jones

  • SJBill
    December 17, 2006 at 6:51 pm

    I understand wherest thou come from.

    Currently on foil 18 of a component reliability presentation, due tomorrow at like 0930. The VP/GM of our division will be seated in the conference room (to hack my guts out if he disagrees).

    Fishbones anyone?

    Hey, I saved my last company a few mil, I can do it for him.

  • Byron Audler
    December 17, 2006 at 7:05 pm

    Lex, when you get a chance to come up for air, check out CDR Sal’s Sunday Funny…methinks he might be poking a rib or two… ;)

  • FbL
    December 17, 2006 at 7:46 pm

    Good luck, Lex.

    And Byron, that was my first thought when I saw it. :D

  • Justthisguy
    December 18, 2006 at 12:03 am

    Let’s hope Lex took the advice offered here and got himself a good RPN calculator. Bought me an HP-12 recently, first time in years I could afford something like that. It was made by Chicoms, dammit. I do so miss my HP-11!

  • Sim
    December 18, 2006 at 1:02 am

    So, who thinks Lex just figured out how to embed video? ;)

  • Michelle
    December 18, 2006 at 4:30 am

    My Gawd, it is Lex!!
    Oops, now I went and done it…….ain’t never gonna see me the rest of Rhythms now! :(

  • AW1 Tim
    December 18, 2006 at 5:11 am

    Shipmates,

    Excellent cartoon. In my own small way, I’ve been there and done that. Sigh.

    I would like much to finish my Master’s and then a Doctorate, but there’s that time thing. The Mrs works full time, so I’m the domestic God, as it were. The oldest daughter is home from college for 6 weeks, the boy is still job hunting and sleeping on the couch, and the young’n is busy revising her christmas lists. The kids are 20, 18, and 8. Proof positive that God has a sense of humour.

    There’s the rest of the decorations to do, the shopping for gifts and weekly food, plus the holiday goodies, I’ve got the rest of the upstairs to vacuum and many boxes of excess stuff (where DOES all that ‘stuff’ come from?)to move to storage, another computer to network to our in-house LAN, a dress to hem, (apparently I’m the only one who can hand sew) and the thrice-weekly volunteering at the local soup-kitchen.

    I do so miss the days of planning for extended ASW ops, and round-the-clock missions, where I actually had a LIFE…….. :)

    Fortunately, all this domestic bidness is made a little easier by all that fine NAVY training when I was younger. Laundry, polishing brightwork, mopping, mess duty, etc. So I got THAT going for me…..

    Plus, in between times, I’m trying to finish the research for a Regimental History of the 3rd Maine Infantry (civil war). Plus finish a monograph on their operations during the Gettysburg Campaign. I need to redo and update a power point about Antietam, and if time permits, assemble some data on Field Dressing Stations for a Living History program at Wildernes NBP for this coming May.

    Respects,

  • Byron Audler
    December 18, 2006 at 5:50 am

    AW1, why not the 20th Maine? They had the more famous Civil War record, especialy Col (and later Brig. Gen) Joshua Chamberlain. IMHO, Chamberlain was the consumate warrior, who was a master of leadership and tactics almost instinctually.

  • AW1 Tim
    December 18, 2006 at 6:14 am

    Byron,

    While reserving serious respect for General Chamberlain and the 20th, their reputation has taken on significant adulation due in no small measure to the astute public relations and oratory ability of the good general. It also doesn’t hurt that he published several books and many speeches. and had numerous public receptions, what with being governor, and President of Bowdoin College, et al.

    The 3rd was a fighting unit par excellence. That’s NOT a slight on the 20th, or any other Maine regiment, but simply a fact. They suffered tremendous casualties, and were present from 1st Bull Run to the day before Cold Harbor.

    For example, the 30 June 1863 muster rolls for the 3rd show 210 men and officers present for duty. Some 40+ others were on detached duty elswhere withing the Brigade and the Division.

    At Gettysburg, they were tasked to support 100 men of the 1st US Sharp Shooters in a recon of Pitzer’s Woods, just before noon. After penetrating the woods for some small distance, they became engaged with men from Wilcox’s Brigade (aprox 1100 men) in a firefight that lasted some 20 minutes.

    After breaking off the engagement, they returned to the area of the Peach Orchard, where they were told to halt and stand by. At that time, they (the 3rd) became the apex of what would later become known as “Sickle’s Salient”. Their Colonel, Moses Lakeman, was the first to detect Hood’s Division moving across the Emittsburg Pike, and called up artillery that forced that column to maneuver further back and delayed Hood’s assault. Afterwards, they fought off hordes of Confederate skirmishers from Kershaw’s Brigade.

    Later in the afternoon, as Barksdale’s Mississippi Brigade attacked the 3rd Corps line along the Pike, the 3rd, which had been facing south, it’s right flank resting on the pike, attempted to chage front to meet this assault. A volley from one of the regiments caught them ‘en maneuver” and killed or wounded every single man in the color company (Co.K) and the Color Guard. Immidieatley, the 3rd was engaged in close combat and was forced to retire, along with the rest of Humphries’ Division to the base of Cemetary Ridge.

    For the day, the 3rd suffered 134 casualties out of 210 emgaged, plus the loss of it’s National Color, taken during close combat on the Emmitsburg Pike.

    The significance of the 3rd’s actions on 2 July 1863 have been often overlooked because no one ever wrote a history of them. Their actions developed the information Sickle’s needed to confirm that the Confederates were attempting to flank the AOP’s position, and their actions in the Peach Orchard, along with the other regiments engaged there, bought the time needed for elements of 2nd and 5th Corps to deploy and support the defense. Had they not done this, it’s likely the 20th would never been of Little Round Top, and the 3rd Corps would have been destroyed at the base of the the Round Tops and the southern edge of Cenetary Ridge, caught in flank by 3 times their numbers. One might easily speculate on the Federal chances of defending the area had this occured.

    Additionally, besides the 20th, other Maine regiment present and engaged included the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th, 16th, 17th, and 19th. Also present was the 1st maine cavalry, and several Maine batteries.

    The 16th was virtually wiped out on 1 July close by Herr’s Ridge, while acting as part of the rear guard for both 1st and 11th Corps. The 3rd, 4th, and 17th were engaged in the peach orchard, Deveil’s Den, and the Wheat Field, respectively. 5th 6th &7th were with 6th Corps, and the 19th was in the middle of the line of 2nd Corps when Pickett’s assault went in.

    Anyway, that’s enough trivia for the day :)

    Respects,

  • SeniorD
    December 18, 2006 at 6:19 am

    For that matter, Byron and Tim, why not do the research on the FIRST ‘Brown Water Navy’? Look into the ironclad river gunboats down Texas way. No, they weren’t Monitors, but more closely related to the motar boats of the time. They not only did their own sorties, but also supported land action.

    Oh, and Cap’n? Don’t mind us, just keep on keepin’ on. We’ve got the watch.

  • AW1 Tim
    December 18, 2006 at 6:21 am

    Also,

    Sorry about the typos. I blame my eyes. It’s easier that way…

    To put the 3rd’s experience at Gettysburg into perspective, consider that they left Maine with 1026 men and officers in 1861, and had been reduced through combat and disease to 210 effectives (plus the 40 or so detached on collateral duty).

    Respects,

  • AW1 Tim
    December 18, 2006 at 6:31 am

    SeniorD,

    Interesting you should bring up the Western Fleet. The 3rd Maine has a direct connection to it.

    In the Maine State Archives, in the collection of 3rd Maine documents, there rests a facinating letter. It is written by Colonel Lakeman in response to an enquiry about one of his men.

    It seems this writer was concerned about the status of his nephew, having not heard from him in some time. Lakeman responded that (and I am paraphrasing here)

    “Your nephew was one of some 40 men from this regiment who volunteered for duty with the gunboats on the western rivers. To be candid, this man, and the others with him, were shirkers and malingerers who never did a solid day’s work their entire time with this regiment. They petitioned for transfer to the gunboat fleet, as they believed it to be easier duty, and I gladly granted the request. Recently I received a letter from them requesting to return the the 3rd, they finding the gunboat duty more arduaous than had ben expected. Their request was denied.”

    I can’t remember off hand the name of the CSA POW camp in Texas, but the rolls there indicate at least 3 men from the 3rd Maine were encarcerated at one time. Most likely they were among the 40 who were sent west for gunboat duty.

    Respects.

  • Byron Audler
    December 18, 2006 at 8:11 am

    Thanks, Tim! Good information, I’ll have to dig deeper into that section of the battle. For leisure reading, I suggest the Newt Gingrich series of an alternate end to Gettysburg, and subsquently, the conflict. Well researched, and worth the read.

    I’m off on vacation in an hour, and I’ll pick up the conversation when I get back ;)

  • madconductor
    December 18, 2006 at 10:06 am

    Hhmmmm… isn’t “non-linear integer problems” what they do with the budget on Capitol Hill?

    Obviously, that should be a piece of cake. Look at all the example….

    Good luck with it, Lex.

  • Buck
    December 18, 2006 at 10:46 am

    AW1 Tim sez: The kids are 20, 18, and 8. Proof positive that God has a sense of humour.

    Agreed on the sense of humor, Tim. My boys are 40, 38, and 9. The Diety and I haven’t stopped laughing…

  • Curt
    December 18, 2006 at 12:54 pm

    Geez…history, snarking, reproduction and the humor capacity of the Almighty…and in one set of comments.

    Only under the watchful eyes of Lex could this have occured…

  • FbL
    December 18, 2006 at 3:28 pm

    Only under the watchful eyes of Lex could this have occured?

  • FbL
    December 18, 2006 at 3:28 pm

    Only under the watchful eyes of Lex could this have occured…

    I tried so hard to resist, but I couldn’t: Snake Eater, what’s the male version of Kris? *bratty grin*

  • AW1 Tim
    December 18, 2006 at 4:02 pm

    Shipmates,

    Yup. Seems like trying to maintain commentary cohesion within any single thread is akin to herding cats…..

    That’s the problem you have when you assemble so many enlightened individuals and allow them to chime in.

    Facinating. Insightful. Mirthy. Reflective. And yet, with so many military types discipline is strangely absent… :)

    Respects,

  • Jim
    December 18, 2006 at 5:02 pm

    Everyone love a Pareto!
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